Allison Baum Gates

Allison Baum Gates is a venture capitalist, author, and speaker with a focus on the intersection of finance, technology, and the future of work. Gates serves as a general partner at SemperVirens, a venture fund investing in healthcare, fintech, and enterprise SaaS. The fund is supported by an ecosystem of more than 1,500 HR leaders, including chief human resources officers at companies such as Disney, UPS, Visa, and BNY Mellon. Gates has raised significant capital from limited partners in the United States, Europe, and Asia, deploying funds into more than 70 companies, including nine unicorns, 24 exits, and holding 10 board positions.

Gates began her career on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs and was an early employee at Maveron and General Assembly, which was acquired by Adecco for $413 million. As regional director of Asia at General Assembly, she established and expanded the company's first education programs for technology, business, and design in Hong Kong. Gates later co-founded Fresco Capital, a global seed fund, and was an investor at Trinity Ventures, a Sand Hill Road generalist venture firm. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics with honors and a minor in film studies from Harvard.

Gates is the author of "Breaking into Venture," published by McGraw-Hill, a guide to navigating the venture capital industry. The book outlines how individuals from diverse backgrounds can enter and succeed in venture capital, drawing on Gates' experiences and insights from venture investors. "Breaking into Venture" has sold tens of thousands of copies, and Gates' work has been featured in Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and TechCrunch.

A Harvard graduate and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Gates is a contributing writer for Forbes, a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley-Haas, and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. Through case studies from her investment portfolio, she discusses the impact of artificial intelligence, automation, and analytics on workforce management and career navigation. Gates has spoken at industry conferences worldwide and has appeared on BloombergTV and Cheddar TV. She is recognized for investments in startups transforming the workforce, including A.Team, Forage, Hone, and Multiverse. Her experience across Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and global employers informs her perspective on the evolving landscape of work, earnings, and investment.