SV Angel’s David Lee And Brian Pokorny Will School Disrupt NY On What’s Broken In Startup Land

There are few venture capital funds as close to the street as SV Angel. That’s why we’re bringing co-founders and managing partners David Lee and Brian Pokorny on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt NY. I’ll be chatting with them about the biggest issues facing startups, from acquisitions to valuations, company culture to embracing failure.

Both Lee and Pokorny worked at Baseline Ventures and Google before SV Angel, and over time have become some of the most prominent and well respected investors in the game.

Our talk comes at a pivotal point in our industry. After a year of soaring valuations, huge funding rounds, and strong stock market performance, there are hints that winter may be coming. Social media stocks are dipping and there are rumors of delayed IPOs. We could be on the verge of a valuation correction or deflation of the bubble (if you think there is one). I’ll ask Lee and Pokorny whether good times are about to go into a coma, and what startups can do to prepare for the next financial phase.

Meanwhile, the scene has been rocked by scandals. Callous founders, allegations of violence, and an HR scandal at SV Angel’s investment Github have cast a dark shadow on Silicon Valley as of late. I’ll press Lee and Pokorny about what startups can do to maintain a positive company culture, and how to respond if a crisis arises.

But as always, there are opportunities to be had. This year alone, SV Angel invested in some of tech’s hottest startups, including Snapchat, Secret, Coinbase, Layer, URX, Patreon, and Sunrise. I’ll grill SV Angel’s leaders about what the important new verticals are, which are ripe for investment, and which might fizzle out.

Disrupt NY will take over the Manhattan Center in New York City on May 5-7. Tickets can be purchased here, and if you’re interested in being a sponsor, please contact our sponsorship team here.

[Image Credit: Brian Ach/Getty Images North America]