VC in Tulsa

Let’s talk money. What are the VC firms in Tulsa looking for when they invest? This Venture Capital panel discussion with seasoned experts will dive deep into the art of approaching venture funds, crafting compelling pitches, and skillfully negotiating terms. They’ll share invaluable insights that can elevate your path to funding. We’ll wrap up the session with an open Q&A where you can get your questions about VC answered!

Panelists: 

Tracy Poole, Founder and Managing Partner of FortySix Venture Capital, specializes in Energy, Healthcare, and Digital Transformation investments. Before this role, Tracy practiced law at McAfee & Taft, focusing on M&A, Corporate, and Securities transactions. His diverse career includes serving as General Counsel for a $4B AUM hedge fund, founding and leading an upstream oil and gas producer, and structuring significant energy trades at The Williams Companies. His extensive experience and leadership roles make him a valuable asset to various boards and a sought-after guest lecturer. 

Darrel Frater was most recently a Venture Fellow at Score 3 Ventures where he assisted underrepresented founders in raising their first rounds of funding. Through Score 3 Darrel was able to help founders raise over $1M in startup capital and mentored over 60 founders since joining in 2019. While assisting founders Darrel also founded his own company, TheClub, a livestream monetization platform for DJs. He is a recent MBA graduate from The College of New Jersey where he studied strategy, innovation, and leadership.

Susan Moring, a startup enthusiast, has spent the bulk of her career supporting entrepreneurs and contributing to the growth of Oklahoma’s startup ecosystem. Susan launched a social entrepreneurship fellowship program in Oklahoma City and grew the state’s first coding bootcamp. Susan is a steering committee member for Creative Oklahoma’s Entrepreneur Mentor Program (IKEMP), and she works nationally with Techstars. 

Dr. William D. Paiva is the Managing Partner of OLSF Ventures, a renowned early-stage healthcare fund operating in Oklahoma for two decades, known for nurturing successful healthcare companies. He specializes in identifying and managing early-stage healthcare investments, with prior experience at Sevin Rosen Funds, managing over $2 billion in healthcare investments. Throughout his career, Dr. Paiva's portfolio companies raised over $400 million in venture capital, secured $2 billion in corporate co-development funding, and achieved exits exceeding $1.5 billion

Adele Weaver is a lifetime entrepreneur with a 20-year track record of starting and scaling businesses. She started her first business at age 8, a bakery which she grew over the course of 10 years into a nationally recognized social enterprise called “Heavenly Bread Company”. She then went on to work with the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation in Tulsa, OK to help launch the Kitchen 66 food incubator and the Mother Road Market food hall. Her work has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal, TEDx, as well as honored as the Tulsa Civic Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015. She also served as the President of the Oklahoma Incubator Association and on the board of the Oklahoma State School of Culinary Arts.