A Funder's Fishbowl with Danielle Strachman, Virginie Raphael, and Eric Bahn
At Responsive Conference 2025, Danielle Strachman, Eric Bahn, and Virginie Raphael took the stage for a Funders’ Fishbowl – an interactive, unscripted session to discuss what it means to back the next generation of builders.
As the venture world undergoes a major shift, this trio discussed how capital can evolve to meet the realities of today’s messy, fast-moving landscape. They explored what it looks like to fund ideas that don’t fit the mold, to support talent that’s often overlooked, and to challenge the myth of the “ideal” founder. In a moment where systems feel stuck, this session offered a glimpse into what it takes to actually change them.
Danielle Strachman
Founder and General Partner at 1517
Danielle Strachman is the Founder and General Partner at 1517 Fund, a venture capital firm that backs bold technologists often outside traditional institutions. Since 2015, she’s led 1517’s work supporting hackers, makers, and scientists through grant, pre-seed, and seed funding, with a focus on founders who forge their own path and learn by doing. Before launching 1517, Danielle helped design and lead the Thiel Fellowship, where she worked with Peter Thiel to reimagine what’s possible when young people build instead of enroll. As a founding team member and program director, she helped shape the Fellowship and build the Thiel Foundation Summit community of over 1,000 emerging innovators.
Virginie Raphael
Founder & Managing Partner at FullCircle
Virginie Raphael is the Founder and Managing Partner of FullCircle, a perpetual pre-seed venture fund investing in the infrastructure, platforms, and people shaping a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous workforce. Since 2021, FullCircle has backed founders at the earliest stages with up to $250K in funding, while helping them build everything from pitch narratives to syndicate strategy. Before founding FullCircle, Virginie spent eight years at Tusk Ventures, where she helped scale the firm and played a key role in its $70M second fundraise, portfolio development, and founder services.
Eric Bahn
Co-Founder & General Partner, Hustle Fund
Eric Bahn is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, a pre-seed venture capital firm with over $100 million in assets under management, focused on investing in “hilariously early” startups around the world. He began his entrepreneurial journey by founding Beat The GMAT, a leading MBA prep platform that was later acquired. He went on to lead product teams at Facebook and Instagram, and in 2016, co-founded Read Your Story, a personalized children’s book company with his sister that was acquired by JibJab in 2022. Eric holds both a BA and MA from Stanford University.