Celebrating Women: Part I
March 2026
Lynn Fletcher
This year, International Women's Day 2026 centers on the theme "Give to Gain," a rallying call to foster a supportive and collaborative mindset. The campaign urges us to accelerate gender equality not only by celebrating achievement but by actively giving - sharing visibility, resources, and knowledge to uplift others. When we commit to giving, we create the conditions for more women to gain access to the tools and opportunities that can transform industries and communities.
To show how "Give to Gain" shapes our work, I’d like to share my personal journey and highlight the remarkable women driving our mission forward.
This theme resonates for me! When I started my career, I never imagined I would end up in Venture Capital. Starting out I gravitated to small business management roles. I enjoyed working with people, learning new things, building out systems and “fixing” things. As my career progressed a found myself in key roles alongside C-suite executives doing the same thing. The numbers were larger, the systems more complex, but I was still finding ways to improve productivity & efficiency.
I was introduced to the founder, Eric Rosenfeld, back in 2010, and was given the opportunity to use my skills in the most supportive and collaborative environment I’d ever known. Starting as an office manager, I found myself taking on more functions, increasing efficiency, and learning about making investments and running a fund. Years later, I’m a partner and a member of the investing team, and I take care of the backend functions of our fund including finance, marketing, investor support, IT, data management, and meetings & events. It’s been an incredible journey, and it all started with an opportunity.
Over the years, we've made intentional efforts to hire women, support women entrepreneurs, and bring accomplished women into our venture partner group. Today, over 70% of our team are women, 32% of our portfolio companies have women founders, and about 30% of our venture partners are women. These achievements reflect our commitment to building an inclusive, empowering culture.
To illustrate the impact of our team, let me introduce a few of the remarkable women who help drive our mission:
Deepthi Madhava works closely with founders throughout the investment sourcing and selection process, ensuring promising ideas get the attention they deserve and helping entrepreneurs navigate the path to success.
Alline Akintore brings her operating and research expertise to diligence for the fund, providing valuable support that helps companies thrive and make informed decisions.
Melissa Freeman comes from a philanthropic background and leads capital raising and investor relations, driven by a passion for creating positive impact across our region.
Mary Geyer is the fund's in-house accountant, she supports the fund providing accurate and timely financials, ensuring data integrity, and supports investors and operations.
I, Lynn Fletcher, oversee the operations of the fund, collaborating often with organizations in the community. For years we held events with Women in Technology (PDXWIT), which is now being resurrected. We are eager for it and other organizations to help fill this space to ensure women have opportunities to connect.
By having women in leadership and decision-making roles, we are actively creating an environment where women founders and collaborators are seen, heard, and supported. This year’s theme, “give to gain” speaks to OVF’s ethos and we look forward to continuing to do more. Through collaboration, we foster an inclusive culture that celebrates innovation and drives collective progress for women in our region.
If you are an entrepreneur looking for support and resources, please reach out to Deepthi Madhava to explore how we can help you grow and bring your vision to life. We’re eager to learn about your ideas and discuss how our team and network can make a difference for your business.
Accredited investors interested in making a difference with Oregon Venture Fund can connect with Melissa Freeman to learn more about investment opportunities. Melissa can walk you through our investment approach, impact and performance, and help you join a community committed to supporting women-led innovation.