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speaker photo

Neil Grunberg (he/him)

Managing Partner, Storytime Capital

Neil is an operator and founder turned investor. Having travelled three different roads to success (IPO, bootstrap and venture backed) he has leveraged his 20 years of operator and founder experience mixed with a successful angel investing track record to launch an early stage venture fund in late 2022. 

Neil made the wise decision to forgo a large telco offer to instead join early stage Workbrain after graduating from McGill in 2000. Learning from an all star cast of founders and organizational leaders through their IPO and then exit he leveraged that experience to join up with Adrian Schauer as he was founding Vortex Connect. Leading that company to a bootstrapped exit setting the stage for their AlayaCare journey. Co-founding AlayaCare in 2014 Neil and his co-founders fulfilled their vision building a global enterprise software company, building a 600+ team that changed the home care sector on 4 continents. 

Leaving AlayaCare a year after their Series D to return to the early stage he adores and fulfill his vision of what a great early stage fund can accomplish leveraging an incredible network of operators and subject matter experts.

Sessions

Mentor Office Hours

Office Hours: First Revenue: From Free to Paid

July 8, 202611:00 AM EDT – 12:00 PM EDT
Office 5
English
Convert early adopters into paying customers, overcome your own psychological fears about charging money, handle pricing objections with confidence, and cross the critical threshold from free to paid that validates your business model. See More.
FundFest

Countering the Doom and Gloom - Emerging Managers in Today’s Venture Landscape

July 8, 20261:40 PM EDT – 2:25 PM EDT
SKY STAGE
English
Despite a challenging fundraising and exit environment, a new generation of venture managers continues to launch funds and back ambitious founders. This discussion explores how emerging managers are navigating the current market, differentiating their strategies, and building durable firms. See More.
Startup Essentials

My Biggest Screw Ups

July 8, 20264:00 PM EDT – 4:15 PM EDT
PORT STAGE
English
Join Neil Grunberg as he shares how his biggest screw ups have shaped his success in this lightning keynote! See More.
Startup Essentials

The Startupfest Founder Panel: Real Founders, Real Disasters, Real Lessons

July 8, 20264:15 PM EDT – 5:00 PM EDT
PORT STAGE
English
Join Neil Grunberg as he moderates the beloved Startupfest founder panel. We ditch the glossy pitch decks and share what building a startup actually looks like—the midnight meltdowns, the money mistakes, the co-founder breakups, and the pivots born from desperation rather than strategy. See More.
Mentor Office Hours

Office Hours: Founder Skills & Leadership Development

July 9, 20261:00 PM EDT – 2:00 PM EDT
Office 4
English
Make the critical shift from visionary who sees what should exist to operator who actually builds it, learn to inspire others to share your vision, and develop leadership skills before you have a team to manage. See More.
Mentor Office Hours

Office Hours: Partnerships & Business Development

July 9, 20262:30 PM EDT – 3:30 PM EDT
Office 6
English
Find partners whose incentives truly align with yours, structure deals that create value for both sides, avoid partnerships that sound good but deliver nothing, and build business development into your growth engine. See More.
Mentor Office Hours

Office Hours: M&A

July 9, 20264:00 PM EDT – 5:00 PM EDT
Office 6
English
Fix messy cap tables, streamline your financials for due diligence, and navigate the psychological weight of selling your startup so you can protect both your valuation and your sanity. See More.