Miriam Rivera

CEO, Co-Founder and Managing Director

2008 - Current

Business Insider Best Early Stage Investors 2022, 2023, 2024. Ulu Ventures is a seed stage generalist venture capital firm focused on the market opportunity created by the Stanford and Silicon Valley communities. We seek to generate top tier financial results using a disciplined, repeatable decision making process that analyzes risk-reward trade-offs. Miriam's investments are in Enterprise IT, Software, and Internet (sector interests include ed tech/future of work, legal tech, and financial inclusion/innovation). She has served as a mentor to many Ulupreneurs and as a board director on many Ulu portfolio company boards. Education/training, entrepreneurship, and VC are some of the best tool sets for solving intractable social and economic problems. As a result, Ulu strives to learn about our entrepreneurs on a human level, to celebrate who they are and support them in being authentic to their visions. Diversity is not about altruism; it’s Ulu's investment thesis. We fund entrepreneurial teams of all colors (diverse doesn't mean minority) and genders with outstanding ideas. Founding teams with diverse professional backgrounds and life experiences are better at problem solving and create better business opportunities.

Advisory Board Member

2024

Catalyst 2045 is SVB’s company-wide platform providing products, tools, resources and capital to Women, Black, and Latinx innovators and investors to accelerate change. The board’s goal is to drive results through access to capital, resources, connection, expertise and advice for underrepresented innovators, entrepreneurs, founders and investors. Miriam will represent venture banking on the advisory board.

Director/Member, Education, Development & Compensation Committees

2022

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind Sesame Street and more—a community built on diversity, equity, and inclusion, where creators, educators, partners, and beloved characters come together to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.

Co-Founder /Board Member

2009

Co-founder of Stanford's first angel and entrepreneurs organization, as well as its largest alumni club, which is based in Silicon Valley, CA. Stanford Alumni Association charters other regional, independent chapter-based organizations using the name Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs with similar interests around the US and the world.

Trustee/Chair, Investments Committee/ Member: Audit & Financial Controls and Governance Committees

2017 - 2024

The Kauffman Foundation is among the largest private foundations in the United States with an asset base of approximately $3 billion focused on advancing opportunities in education and entrepreneurship for Americans. The foundation works together with communities to create opportunities and connect people to the tools they need to shape their futures and be successful.

Advisor, Stanford Law School Dean's Advisory Council

2020 - 2022

Member, Stanford Law School Venture Fund

2017 - 2022

Advisor, Venture Capital Director's College

2014 - 2018

Advised former Rock Center Co-EDs, F. Daniel Siciliano and Evan Epstein, in development of a new executive education offering for private company directors, including startup executives and VCs. The VCDC Program subsequently became the Stanford/NVCA branded Venture Capital Symposium.

Advisor, Stanford GSB Dean's Advisory Council; Online Education Committee Member

2010 - 2015

Chief Operating Officer/General Counsel

2014 - 2014

Oversaw: 3 year financial audit; diligence and documentation of $49M of $70M Series B raise; appeal to obtain student visa clearance from US Dept. of Homeland Security. Developed and managed student services function and disciplinary processes for first admitted class.