Nicole Glaros

Nicole Glaros is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist recognized for her leadership in the startup ecosystem. Glaros is the CEO and founder of Phos, an investment firm focused on early-stage technology startups. She spent nearly 14 years at Techstars and was among the early women in venture capital.

As a second-generation American whose father and grandfather both started companies, Glaros learned early about entrepreneurship and self-determination. While earning a master's degree in sport psychology at the University of Florida, she co-founded a technology startup serving the property management industry, which ignited her ongoing interest in entrepreneurship, technology, performance coaching, and seed-stage investing.

Glaros's career in startups advanced when she joined CTEK, a Colorado-based incubator supporting technology startups before the rise of accelerators. She contributed to CTEK's expansion from one to five offices statewide, playing a role in developing Colorado's startup ecosystem. At Techstars, Glaros served as chief investment strategy officer, helping the company grow from a single office in Boulder to an international organization with more than 50 programs, events in over 500 cities, a market cap exceeding $77 billion, and nearly $1 billion in assets under management. During her tenure, she ran eight programs and built a portfolio of close to 90 companies.

Glaros is a venture partner at Matchstick Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm investing in technology startups outside major coastal hubs. She serves on the Vitalant Board of Trustees and the boards of two venture funds, including One Way Ventures and the Greater Colorado Venture Fund. Glaros is also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Denver Branch Board of Directors and serves as a board director for the Leeds Board of Alumni & Friends at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has been a board member of the National Venture Capital Association. Additionally, Glaros is the co-founder of ForDenverFC, an initiative to launch a women's professional soccer team in Colorado.

With a background in sport psychology and experience as an executive, operator, entrepreneur, and investor, Glaros has taken on executive and performance advising roles. She has appeared at global technology events such as Abu Dhabi's Hub71, sharing insights on designing investor pitches. Her keynote speaking topics include business, entrepreneurship, finance, technology, venture capital, and social activism. Glaros has also competed as a swimmer, triathlete, and boxer, reflecting the drive and discipline she brings to startups and investing.