Witches & Pitches: 🎃 New York Startup Pitch Night with LGBT+ VC and Foley Hoag
- Date
- 2024-10-21
- Location
- New York, NY, USA
- Host
- LGBT+ VC Events
About this event
Witches & Pitches brings New York’s startup energy together with LGBT+ investor and founder community for a pitch night that is equal parts high-signal and highly welcoming. If you care about early-stage ideas, honest feedback, and meeting people who are actively building, backing, and shaping what comes next, this is the kind of room you want to be in on a Monday night. About the Event This is an in-person startup pitch night in New York hosted with LGBT+ VC and Foley Hoag, designed to connect founders, investors, operators, and supporters of the LGBT+ tech and startup ecosystem. The format centers on live pitches, but the bigger point is the room itself: people showing up not just to watch, but to engage, ask smart questions, and build real relationships. Pitch nights work best when they attract a mix of perspectives, and that is clearly the appeal here. Whether you are actively fundraising, exploring a new venture, advising startups, or simply plugged into the New York tech community, this event creates a focused setting to hear what people are building and how they are thinking about the market. With a title like Witches & Pitches, expect the evening to carry some seasonal personality without losing the professional edge. It is a chance to be in a serious startup conversation that still feels social, open, and easy to enter. What to Expect At its core, this event is about live startup storytelling. Founders will step up to present their companies, ideas, or early traction to a room of peers and ecosystem participants. For attendees, that means a front-row view into how entrepreneurs frame a problem, define an opportunity, and communicate why their approach matters. You can expect the evening to include a few key elements: Founder pitches presented live in front of the audience Audience engagement through listening, reactions, and likely informal follow-up conversations Networking time before, during, or after the formal program Community connection with people across startups, venture, and the broader LGBT+ professional network This is not the kind of event where you sit passively and leave. The value often comes from what happens around the pitches: the conversation after a strong presentation, the introduction to someone working on a similar problem, or the quick exchange that turns into a later meeting. Because it is in person, there is also a practical immediacy to the experience. You get to read the room, hear how ideas land in real time, and meet people in a setting that makes relationship-building more natural than a cold outreach email. Why Attend If you are a founder, events like this help sharpen your sense of what resonates. Watching other people pitch can be as useful as pitching yourself: you see how different teams explain their market, product, and traction, and you get a clearer sense of what stands out in a crowded startup environment. If you are an investor, scout, advisor, or operator, this is an efficient way to stay close to emerging talent and early ideas. You are not just hearing polished narratives; you are seeing how people think on their feet, how they respond to interest, and how they position their work in a live setting. There is also a strong community reason to attend. Startup ecosystems are built through repeated, high-quality interactions, and LGBT+-centered spaces matter because they create room for more direct connection, visibility, and support. This event offers that without making it feel closed off or narrow; it is specific in its community focus while still broad in the kinds of people and perspectives it can bring together. A few concrete reasons this night may be worth your time: See new startups early and hear founders explain their vision firsthand Meet people across functions including founders, investors, operators, and community builders Expand your network in New York through a format that gives everyone something immediate to talk about Support LGBT+ entrepreneurship and investing in a room intentionally built around that community Leave with useful context on current startup thinking, pitch style, and market conversations Practical Details This event takes place in person in New York, USA on Monday, October 21 at 6:00 PM EDT. The in-person format is a meaningful part of the draw, so plan to attend ready to participate, introduce yourself, and stay present through both the program and the informal conversations around it. Given the startup pitch night format, arriving on time is the best move. It gives you a chance to settle in, meet a few people before the program starts, and catch the full sequence of pitches without walking in midstream. A few simple ways to get more out of the evening: Come ready to talk briefly about what you do If you are a founder, be prepared to follow up quickly with people you meet If you work in venture or support startups, expect opportunities for warm introductions and fast context-setting If you are newer to the ecosystem, use the format as an easy opener: ask people which pitch stood out to them and why New York has no shortage of startup events, which is exactly why curation matters. This one stands out by bringing together startup ambition, LGBT+ community, and a live pitch format that gives the evening structure, momentum, and a clear reason for the right people to be in the same room.
Who should attend
If you want a startup event with actual substance, clear community focus, and people worth meeting, this is likely a good fit. - You are a **founder or aspiring founder** who wants to hear live pitches, see how others frame their company, and meet investors, peers, and potential supporters in person. - You work in **venture capital, angel investing, scouting, or founder support** and want to stay close to early-stage founders and the LGBT+ startup ecosystem. - You are an **operator in tech or startups** and enjoy being in rooms where new ideas are tested, discussed, and connected to real market thinking. - You are part of the **LGBT+ professional or startup community** and want a sharper, more intentional networking environment than a generic mixer. - You are **newer to New York tech** and want an easy, structured way to meet credible people without needing to force cold introductions. - You simply like being around **smart builders and active community members** and want a Monday night that is more energizing than another standard networking event.