# Lauren Roberts

> Lauren Roberts is an Associate at Forum Ventures in New York, where she evaluates hundreds of pre-seed B2B SaaS startups each year and coaches founders on market positioning, storytelling, and early traction. A University of Oklahoma alumna who co-founded her school's first student-run venture fund, she came to VC through a transformative summer in Tulsa during the centennial of the Greenwood Race Massacre - an experience that turned a pre-law finance student into one of the more distinctive voices on inclusive investing in early-stage tech.

- **Role:** Associate at Forum Ventures
- **Organizations:** Forum Ventures, Atento Capital, Crimson Prairie Ventures, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), African American Leadership Academy, Cortado Ventures, Boyd Street Ventures, PIMCO
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BBA in Entrepreneurship and Finance, Pre-Law, University of Oklahoma
- **Known for:** Co-founded Crimson Prairie Ventures, the University of Oklahoma's first student-managed venture fund, MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow) Prep Fellow, African American Leadership Academy Cohort 4 Fellow

## Career timeline

- **2021** — Completed Atenternship at Build in Tulsa during Tulsa Race Massacre centennial; pivotal experience that led her to switch majors to Entrepreneurship
- **2021** — Interned at Boyd Street Ventures (Norman, OK-based VC firm)
- **2021-2022** — Participated in Atento University Fellows Program
- **2022** — Interned at Cortado Ventures (Oklahoma City), conducting due diligence in logistics, energy, and mobility
- **2022** — Interned at PIMCO, managing investment portfolios and executing fixed income strategies
- **2022** — Co-founded Venture Capital Club at University of Oklahoma with Aaron Latham; club evolved into Crimson Prairie Ventures, OU's first student-managed venture fund
- **2023** — Graduated from University of Oklahoma with BBA in Entrepreneurship and Finance
- **2023** — Joined Atento Capital as Senior Finance & Strategy Analyst, supporting founders and ecosystem development in Tulsa
- **2024-2025** — Joined Forum Ventures in New York as Associate, focusing on pre-seed B2B SaaS deal flow and founder coaching

## Achievements

- Co-founded Crimson Prairie Ventures, the University of Oklahoma's first student-managed venture fund
- MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow) Prep Fellow
- African American Leadership Academy Cohort 4 Fellow
- Authored 'My Journey into Venture Capital: Reflections of a Black Female Investor' on LinkedIn
- Evaluates hundreds of pre-seed B2B SaaS startups annually at Forum Ventures
- Featured in Forum Ventures Instagram content coaching founders on investor outreach and pitch strategy
- Named in fireside chat at University of Oklahoma on VC funding for founders

## Latest updates

- **2025-04** — Featured in Forum Ventures Instagram reels coaching founders on how to write effective cold emails to investors and how to make investor pitches genuinely compelling
- **2025-01** — Posted on LinkedIn about her next chapter in venture capital and founder support, receiving 51+ comments from the VC community
- **2024** — Joined Forum Ventures in New York as Associate, expanding role from Midwest ecosystem builder to national pre-seed investor

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-n-roberts/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_nroberts/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/lauren-roberts
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-14