Create the change
you want to see.

Leveraging our experience, we created the Enablement Program - a new educational program to empower the next generation of venture capitalists.

Scroll For More

Program Overview

Changing venture,

one cohort at a time.

What is the Enablement Program?

  • Tuition-free educational program for emerging managers in venture
  • Focused on building community and providing strategic guidance on firm building and fundraising strategies

How does it work?

  • Designed from feedback from the emerging manager community
  • Participate in a cohort of 12-15 managers per term
  • Virtual programming supported by seasoned venture professionals, LPs, and trusted service providers
  • Includes group sessions, one-on-one time with peers and Program leads, and relationship building opportunities with LPs
  • Participants receive support on pressing issues from a hands-on, engaged, and caring community

When does it take place?

  • Cohorts will meet weekly for a 12 week term
  • Sessions ranging from one-to-three hours
  • Program conducts two cohorts per year, convening in the Spring and Fall

Who should apply?

  • US based (for now!) emerging managers in venture that are pre-launch or mid-launch for their first or second fund
  • We would like the participants of each cohort to reflect the diversity we want to see in the venture industry
  • No warm introduction or referral necessary

Now accepting applications for the Spring 2024 cohort!

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.

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.

Testimonials

What the managers say about us.

"As first-time fund managers, my partner and I had a lot to learn and we had to learn it fast. Recast's Enablement Program accelerated our development. Courtney and Sara applied their nuanced understanding of the alternative investment landscape to curate a valuable program - with perspectives from expert practitioners - that illuminated many opaque, but critical elements of the fund management process. Any emerging manager would be fortunate to participate in future iterations of the Enablement Program. "

Ryan Russell

Co-Founder & Partner, Avenue Growth Partners

"The Recast enablement program was enormously beneficial for our fund's progress. The program deftly integrated and balanced real time feedback from both peer GPs and representative LPs, best practices and lessons learned from successful GPs as well as a thorough review of the foundational constructs necessary for all funds to succeed. Sara and Courtney's experience and reputation in the industry shone through all aspects of the program, especially the caliber of the speakers and their willingness to be open and honest with the GPs in the program."

Renske Lynde

General Partner, 1st Course Capital

"As an emerging manager raising my first fund, Recast Capital’s Enablement Program has been a game changer for me. I’ve had the opportunity to connect with colleagues to share best practices and meet LPs to share their perspectives on emerging managers and what they look for in investments. There couldn’t have been a better program to take part in as I embark on this journey to change the face of VC and increase opportunities for investment in Black and Brown founders. "

Kelli Jones

General Partner, Sixty8 Capital

"We really enjoyed the Recast enablement program. It gave us an extraordinary amount of insight into the best practices of the business of running a venture capital fund, which enabled us to accelerate all of our activities. Through the program we were able to share and learn from our peers and meet an extraordinary set of people that represented all of the key stakeholders in the venture community, all of whom were willing to find time to work with us."

Zach Posner

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, The LegalTech Fund

"As a first-time fund manager, participating in the beta cohort of the Enablement Program was not only incredibly valuable but also gave me a sense of community by getting to know other fund managers. I found the discussions with LPs particularly insightful and walked away from the program with a sharper sense of our strategy and direction. The Recast program can serve as a guidepost for emerging managers and I am excited that Sara and Courtney are creating this opportunity."

Chris Chaney

Co-Founder and General Partner, Lunar Storm Capital

"I participated in Recast's inaugural program for emerging managers in advance of raising Vitalize Fund II. The high quality speakers and pitch practice with institutional LPs helped me to refine my story and clearly outline our fund's unique differentiation. The best parts of the program were the high quality peer network of other emerging managers and the insights shared by the incomparable GPs of Recast, Sara Zulkosky and Courtney McCrea, who truly care about supporting emerging managers. Their work is critical to the venture ecosystem, and I look forward to staying connected with them and the other fund managers in the Recast community."

Gale Wilkinson

Managing Partner, Vitalize Venture Group

"As an emerging manager, I appreciated the nuanced two-way discussions we had as a result of the Recast team's institutional alternatives backgrounds, the curated peer class of strong GPs, and the candor and time committed from leading venture GPs and LPs. The special relationships I formed with peer GPs and the Recast team have grown beyond the four month program and continue to enrich Andav Capital."

Nisha Desai

Managing General Partner, Andav Capital

A new vision for venture.

Sign up for our newsletter to hear when we open applications for the next cohort!

Sign Up

Program Sponsors

Thank you to our Enablement Program sponsors who make this possible.