How I Got Here
I didn't grow up knowing what venture capital was — let alone think I'd one day work in it. As a first-generation college graduate, I broke into VC in 2020 by pitching myself with a 10-page “Why Me” deck.
No inside connections. No roadmap.
In 2022, I started posting online — sharing what I was learning and opening doors for the next generation of investors and founders.
Today I'm building VC Demystified — a media brand and weekly newsletter breaking down how this industry really works. My mission is to make venture capital more accessible, and to open as many doors as possible for other people.
Nicole DeTommaso
Founder, VC Demystified · Early-Stage VC Investor
Nicole DeTommaso is the founder of VC Demystified, a media brand helping aspiring investors and founders understand how venture capital actually works.
She spent six years as a venture investor at Harlem Capital before going full-time on VC Demystified and launching VCD Fund, a pre-seed fund focused on backing student and alumni founders.
Nicole is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Venture Capital, an NVCA Rising Star, and a first-generation college student who graduated from Columbia University.
She has built a community of 175,000+ across LinkedIn, X, and her newsletter.