Breaking Into Venture Capital Without Prior Experience — Featuring Sarah Romanko

There’s a common belief that venture capital is a closed circle of careers reserved for former bankers, consultants, or elite MBA graduates. But the industry is evolving. More professionals are earning their way into VC by building visibility, contributing to the ecosystem, and developing real investment judgment before ever holding the title.

Sarah Romanko represents this modern path. As part of the investment team at Geek Ventures, she sources, evaluates, and closes startup investments while supporting founders post-funding. Alongside her investing role, she has built a strong ecosystem presence, 25,000+ LinkedIn followers, 80+ speaking engagements, and 40+ judging and mentorship sessions across major startup platforms and universities. She was also awarded a full scholarship to Cohort 20 of VC University, a highly selective program powered by UC Berkeley Law, NVCA, and Venture Forward.

In this live conversation, we’ll break down what it actually takes to move from being “interested in…