LAUREL WOERNER
Driving venture capital returns with platform strategy
An Effective Platform Function
I partner with firms of any stage, geography, or industry to create platform programming that moves the needle on investment metrics. Then, I set you up for long-term success with plans, resources, and ongoing advising.
Results
Identified new strategic partners by creating a startup partnership program.
Maintained founder support through team transition.
Redesigned platform strategy and hired from Beauhearst to execute.
Created platform strategy to increase deals won by giving founders pre-investment access to firm advisors.
Hired from Amazon to execute strategy.
Launched V1 of firm brand + community strategy.
Hired from Company Ventures to execute strategy.
Raised $150K initial funding.
Hired first Executive Director.
Services
Platform Strategy
Identify Your Firm’s Strengths: Deep dives on your firm’s differentiation via listening and feedback.
Create Strategy: Align your team around a competitive platform strategy that will help win deals and accelerate your portfolio.
Aim for the Right Target: Confirm the value of platform activity with KPI benchmarks and recommendations.
Program Design & Execution
Reliably Solve Business Needs: Keep pipeline flowing with our help designing, launching, and managing programs across community, business development, marketing, and talent.
Marketing & Communications
Uplevel Your Brand: Get help with firm and portfolio company needs across PR, communications, content, and social.
Search Management
Hire Successfully: Avoid common pitfalls with job specs + candidate profiles, screening support, and activation of our networks for your search.
Find Your Vendor Partners: Find your trusted partners for everything from PR to talent networks to CRMs with with scoping and vetting.
Interim Support
Avoid Coverage Gaps: Keep founders engaged and programs running smoothly during parental leaves or team transitions.
Firm Advisory
Accelerate Your Platform Team: Power up your existing team with development plans, goals + benchmarks, feedback, and strategy support.
Accelerate Your Firm: Stay at the forefront with firm advisory on all things platform.
About Laurel
After nearly a decade of supporting entrepreneurs, Laurel has deep experience with the challenges of launching and scaling a business and the tools that can help along the way. Since 2020, Laurel has partnered with leading organizations through LTW Consulting to develop strategies for startup engagement and growth, collaborating with platform leaders from Union Square Ventures, Bessemer, and Underscore Ventures. She previously led the platform team at RRE Ventures, spent time building a startup, and helped found the community at Work-Bench Ventures. She also served for 5 years on the board of VC Platform Global Community, developing standards of platform excellence on behalf of the community’s 600+ member firms.
Select Media
A Framework for Platform Strategy [VC Platform Global Community Summit]
How VCs Build Network [4Degrees Blog]
How Empathy Became the New CEO Status Symbol [Fast Company Feature]
Venture Capital in COVID with Matt Murphy, Menlo Ventures [Tufts Entrepreneurship Network Webinar Speaker]
Building a Killer Event Machine: 5 Lessons Learned From Hosting 500+ Events [Work-Bench Blog]
The Alchemy of Diversity: Structuring Mentorship Programs for Success [Code Like a Girl]
How to Rise Above the Noise: Getting Press Coverage for Your Enterprise Startup [Work-Bench Blog]