Inno Under 25: Phoebe Martin, Venture Capital Summit and Georgetown Student Capital Partners

Editor's note: Each year, DC Inno and the Washington Business Journal spotlight some of the region’s top young innovators under the age of 25, and this year we’re featuring a diverse group of nine disruptors, philanthropists and venture capital enthusiasts determined to shake up the status quo. Click here to read the other profiles.

Phoebe Martin, founder, Venture Capital Summit and Georgetown Student Capital Partners, Georgetown University

Tell us a bit about your on-campus initiatives: I came to Georgetown with an avid interest in the venture capital industry and found a lack of initiatives on campus to expose students to VC. Following my first VC internship my freshman year, I was asked to lead the VC division of a new club on campus, Georgetown Student Capital Partners, which remains Georgetown’s only PE/VC-focused undergraduate club. In the fall of my junior year, I approached the founding director of Georgetown Entrepreneurship, Jeff Reid, and the undergraduate dean of the McDonough School of Business, Patricia Grant, about my idea to start an annual, student-led “Venture in the Capital Summit,” focused on the intersection of venture capital, entrepreneurship, and public policy. They were incredibly supportive. I subsequently built a team of like-minded students to help organize the event.

What was your inspiration for the Summit? I was inspired to start the “Venture in the Capital Summit” after I attended the “All-In Summit” in Miami in May 2022. The “All-In Summit” is an extension of the popular business podcast, the “All-In Podcast.” Taking a step back, my larger inspiration for the Summit was focused around what distinguishes Georgetown from other prestigious universities: our location in the nation’s capital. The intersection of policy and technology seemed an obvious focus area for Georgetown.

Is the goal to interest more students in pursuing VC careers? The vast majority of my peers are advised to begin their careers in consulting and investment banking, with less consideration for opportunities in VC/growth equity, technology, or entrepreneurship. My aim is to broaden students’ perspectives on potential career paths. Georgetown has an incredible network of alumni who serve as role models and mentors for current university students. The Summit provides students the opportunity to hear directly from and meet these distinguished alums and hopefully, feel inspired to follow a similar path.

I imagine this has opened doors for you personally as well: Last spring, following the success of the inaugural “Venture in the Capital Summit,” I was invited to the United Nations to present the speakers for a conference on artificial intelligence for Social Justice. Being presented with that opportunity was validation of how hard work and dedication to one’s passion can be incredibly rewarding.

What has been your biggest challenge so far? Taking on big initiatives that have never been done before and figuring out how to make them happen. Moreover, serving as president of the Georgetown ski team and poker team, as well as pursuing VC internships alongside my coursework, I have admittedly taken on a lot of responsibilities.

Where do you see yourself five years from now? I want to be as close to technological progress as possible, and see myself either working at a startup or investing in technology startups at a VC/growth equity firm. I also hope to remain involved in the intersection of technology and policy as I feel the area is often overlooked.

Favorite book? “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters. I especially love Thiel’s quote, “The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself.”