Accelerate the Change.

Despite some progress, institutional barriers for traditionally undercapitalized funders and founders persist. We created our GP Programs to address this head on.

Our GP Programs began in 2020 with a tuition-free curriculum focused on fundraising success, which we called the Enablement Program. Our learnings over the years motivated us in 2023 to build on the offering and create the Accelerate Program.

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Mission

Building up women.

Women make up 45% of the VC workforce, but only represent 15% of partners. It takes a woman two to three times longer to raise a venture fund versus her white male counterparts on average, and in 2021 women-founded companies only received 2% of VC funding.

Recast Accelerate was designed to accelerate the success of women-led, emerging U.S. venture capital funds.

Program Overview

Helping undercapitalized managers, one fund at a time.

  • Recast Capital launched Accelerate to test a hypothesis: that increasing female representation in VC general partner positions will increase VC funding to women founders and those from other underrepresented backgrounds.
  • Recast will share the findings of the research program in a public report.

How does Accelerate work?

Built off the successes and learnings from Recast’s Enablement Program, the Accelerate Program supports its program participants by providing access to key educational content, peer learning opportunities, robust firm-building resources and templates, and complimentary executive coaching. In addition, Recast directly covers the cost of shared services (learn more below), operational support, and consultant engagements designed to help GPs build and scale their firms –– collectively, our program services represent over $100k of value per firm.

Program Details:

  • 12-month Virtual Educational Program
    • Cohort meets 2 hours per month as a full group
  • In-House Services (Covered by Recast):
    • Investor Relations Advisory
    • Pitch Deck Narrative Strategy
    • AI & Automations Support
    • Communications & Marketing
    • Legal advice
    • Tax & Audit Advisory
    • SPVs, Secondaries & Fund Admin Support
    • Operating Template Library
    • …and more!
  • Peer “Pod” Groups
    Participants will be matched with 5-7 emerging managers at a similar stage, meeting 1-2x per month for support, shared learning, and candid discussions.
  • Executive Coaching
    Accepted firms will be able to work with an executive coach, offering a chance for professional growth, such as strengthening leadership styles, diving into interpersonal roadblocks, and tackling partner dynamics.
  • Peer “Pod” Groups
    Participants will be matched with 5-7 emerging managers at a similar stage, meeting 2x per month for support, shared learning, and candid discussions.
  • LP Office Hours
    Your firm will have 1-1 hands-on support from our Co-Founders, Courtney McCrea and Sara Zulkosky, two institutionally-trained LPs in venture.

Program Timeline:

  • February: Applications open
  • April 24th: Applications close at 11:59pm PT
  • July – August: 1:1 virtual conversations with select applicants
  • September: Invitations to join the program are released
  • November: In-Person Cohort Kick-off (Targeting first week of November)
  • December: Virtual 12-month program begins; runs through the end of 2027

Virtual Information Sessions

Application

Who should apply?

  • US-based emerging venture funds (I-II) led by at least one general partner who identifies as a woman or non-binary, and 50% of companies funded are also based in the US.
  • Venture funds should be focused at the early-stage and have less than $25M in AUM at the time of applying (not including any closed capital for an open fund for which you’re raising capital currently).
  • Participating funds will be required to report on the demographics of the founders in which they invest. The data will be combined with other participants, anonymized and analyzed; findings will be published by Recast.
Apply Now

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What’s the eligibility criteria to be considered for the Accelerate Program?

  1. The fund must have at least one member of the General Partnership who identifies as a woman or non-binary.
  2. The firm must have less than $25M in assets under management (AUM) (excluding capital raised for an open investment vehicle, prior SPVs, personal capital invested, etc.)
  3. The fund needs to be based in the United States and 50% of companies funded are also/will be based in the United States.

2. How many fund managers will be accepted to the program each year?

Past cohort sizes have varied in size (ranging 18-35 firms in each cohort), pending applicant pool and learnings from prior cohorts.

3. How will Recast evaluate applications?

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of individuals who have experience investing in emerging venture funds. Applications will be randomly assigned to selection committee teams, and those teams will make recommendations. Final selections will be made by Recast.

4. Are there key qualifications or backgrounds the review committee looks for when evaluating Accelerate Program applications?

Recast Accelerate is designed to increase the number of female venture capitalists, with the hypothesis that those investors will invest in more diverse founders. Recipients need to show that they are committed to the industry, have networks that are ripe for investment and have a background that is of importance to the sector/companies they will be backing.

5. Didn't you offer grants to the prior cohorts? Are you still doing that?

Over the last three cohorts, we learned that emerging managers face two distinct sets of challenges: operational (the expensive, complex work of setting up a firm) and relational (the isolation and opacity of the industry). 

For Cohort IV, we are upgrading our model to tackle both head-on. 

We are moving from a model of discretionary grant capital to a fully realized shared services platform. We saw brilliant investors spending valuable time and grant money vetting service providers, often resulting in repetitive, inefficient spending. 

Cohort IV participants will step into a program where the heavy lifting of firm-building is already in motion. Participants will receive our most valuable offering yet – a comprehensive, in-house suite of services. 

The core of the Accelerate experience remains our unshakeable commitment to the human side of venture. Beyond the services, Cohort IV participants will gain a small ‘pod’ group, executive coaching, direct mentorship from the Recast Team, and broader Recast Network (150+ firms strong).  

6. I previously participated in the Enablement Program. Am I eligible for Accelerate?

Yes! If you meet the eligibility criteria for Accelerate, you are encouraged to apply.

7. I want to learn more about Accelerate and have some questions. How can I best get in touch with the Recast Team?

We encourage you to join our two upcoming Info Sessions:

You’re also welcome to email our team at accelerate-application@recastcapital.com.

 

Future

Accelerate doesn't
stop here

Accelerate is not stopping here. We plan to bring in other funding partners to support more female or other underrepresented emerging managers. If you or you organization is interested in supporting Accelerate’s future, please contact us.

Contact Us

Our Team

Experience brought us here.
Values keep us here.

Institutionally-trained investment professionals with decades of experience supporting and investing in emerging managers in venture.

Courtney McCrea

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Courtney McCrea

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Courtney is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Recast Capital. Prior to co-founding Recast, Courtney was a Managing Director of Weathergage Capital, a boutique fund of funds that provided its clients with access to premier venture capital, growth equity and micro-VC partnerships. Venture fund commitments included both brand name funds and emerging managers. In addition to fund investment responsibilities, Courtney led the direct co- investing program at Weathergage. During her 10 year tenure at Weathergage, Courtney made commitments to 100 funds and seven direct co-investments.

Prior to Weathergage, Courtney was a General Partner with Weston Presidio, a leading diversified private equity firm based in San Francisco. After 7 years at Weston Presidio, she left in 2004 and founded Silver Partners, a private equity advisory firm where she evaluated secondary and co- investment opportunities and advised consumer growth businesses. Courtney was also a Director at Sterling Stamos, where she managed investments in buyout funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds.

Courtney has an M.B.A., with honors, from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She is a member of the Kauffman Fellows Class 3. Courtney is a member of the Alzheimer’s Association Northern California and Nevada Board of Directors and the Chair of the Episcopal Impact Fund Investment Committee.

Sara Zulkosky

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Sara Zulkosky

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Sara is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Recast Capital. Prior to co-founding Recast, Sara served as a Venture Partner at Greenspring Associates, a venture capital platform with over $12B in assets under management. Sara managed Greenspring’s early-stage venture fund evaluation committee, supported the firm’s Micro venture fund evaluation committee and led the firm’s impact investing initiative. She was also responsible for sourcing, due diligence efforts and/or managing a number of Greenspring’s direct and secondary investments.

Courtney McCrea

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Courtney McCrea

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Courtney is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Recast Capital. Prior to co-founding Recast, Courtney was a Managing Director of Weathergage Capital, a boutique fund of funds that provided its clients with access to premier venture capital, growth equity and micro-VC partnerships. Venture fund commitments included both brand name funds and emerging managers. In addition to fund investment responsibilities, Courtney led the direct co- investing program at Weathergage. During her 10 year tenure at Weathergage, Courtney made commitments to 100 funds and seven direct co-investments.

Prior to Weathergage, Courtney was a General Partner with Weston Presidio, a leading diversified private equity firm based in San Francisco. After 7 years at Weston Presidio, she left in 2004 and founded Silver Partners, a private equity advisory firm where she evaluated secondary and co- investment opportunities and advised consumer growth businesses. Courtney was also a Director at Sterling Stamos, where she managed investments in buyout funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds.

Courtney has an M.B.A., with honors, from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She is a member of the Kauffman Fellows Class 3. Courtney is a member of the Alzheimer’s Association Northern California and Nevada Board of Directors and the Chair of the Episcopal Impact Fund Investment Committee.

Sara Zulkosky

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Sara Zulkosky

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Sara is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Recast Capital. Prior to co-founding Recast, Sara served as a Venture Partner at Greenspring Associates, a venture capital platform with over $12B in assets under management. Sara managed Greenspring’s early-stage venture fund evaluation committee, supported the firm’s Micro venture fund evaluation committee and led the firm’s impact investing initiative. She was also responsible for sourcing, due diligence efforts and/or managing a number of Greenspring’s direct and secondary investments.
Meet the team

A new vision for venture.

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