Mark Suster

Yves Sisteron

Kobie Fuller

Upfront Ventures

Upfront Ventures has a deep commitment to equality in funding & building diverse teams across all ethnicities, nationalities and genders. As the firm’s website states, “We do this not just because it’s the right thing to do but also we believe it will help drive large and differentiated returns.” In 2017 Upfront began inserting an “Inclusion Clause” into term sheets to align this value across all its investments. They hope other VCs will follow suit. The results speak for themselves. Upfront’s partnership is 40% BIPOC and 30% female. Upfront’s last three funds have demonstrated diversity within – 22% of the portfolio companies have a BIPOC founder and 21% have a female founder. Yves Sisteron, an experienced venture investor with over 30 years in the industry, founded Upfront Ventures in 1996. His focus lies in supporting founders who aim for significant industry disruption and equally transformative social impact, regardless of the category in which they operate. Mark Suster is a highly accomplished founder and investor. He currently serves as a Partner at Upfront. Kobie Fuller is a Partner at Upfront who has been dedicated to improving diversity in the VC community for 20 years. He is dedicated to the generative AI space which he has been creatively using to amplify the achievements of Black inventors. He is regarded as a leader and role model and widely respected for his willingness to speak truth to power in the venture community.