the z list 💥🧿✨👩🏻‍💻 #56

i'm hosting 11 events in september (we're so back)

Author

Zehra Naqvi
August 06, 2024

I'm back again with the monthly Z List post during the summer! We’ll return to a weekly cadence on August 26th through the end of the year.

I’m writing this edition to you all from Hong Kong.

Events are getting lined up for the fall, and (naturally) I’m focusing a lot on consumer tech. A refresher on what I like to invest in below:

P.S. Just created a page for The Z List on LinkedIn! Would love if you could follow the page!!!!

Tweet to think about

Z List IRL hosted by Zehra

I’m bringing back larger events but also pursuing smaller, activity-based events. Fill out the forms below, and I’ll email you the details!

  1. Bringing back larger events: I love the accessibility of a large event. More people can attend, and if you’re new to an industry, it is somehow less intimidating to enter a space with tons of people vs. a small space where everyone has been hand-selected and knows each other.

  2. Hosting smaller events: with the above in mind, I truly think (and have seen) the most valuable personal and professional relationships and opportunities blossom from small events. It is the most rewarding part of being a community builder when I bring together a group of 10 strangers who leave with plans to hire each other, work with one another, and become friends.

I want to call myself out, though. Because I’ve been hosting smaller events, I’m obviously not meeting as many new founders, VCs, and operators as I’d like IRL.

As such, I’m making a commitment to meet 5 new founders, 3 new VCs, 2 new operators, and 1 new angel investor IRL a week. Maybe it's far-fetched, but I’ll be writing monthly updates on The Z List with the numbers + lists of everyone I meet so you can follow along.

I never want to stop meeting new people. What do you think? Is this a crazy challenge or a good goal? Either way, I’ll be documenting my results.

wednesday 8/21

tuesday 8/27

wednesday 9/4

tuesday 9/17

wednesday 9/18

tuesday 9/24

wednesday 9/25

  •  Breaking into VC: Fundamentals P2

    • hosted by: Zehra 

    • for who: folks interested in breaking into VC. last time I hosted this, one of the attendees got a job at a $400M NYC based fund after attending this event and listening to one of the speakers who worked at said VC firm.

thursday 9/26

friday 9/27

VC Ecosystem News (No GPs Allowed)

Whittling down the most important pieces of VC news is exceptionally difficult! Here’s 10% of what I covered in the last edition of No GPs Allowed:

Fundraising News

Friend’s of The Z List: Events & Projects
Wanna feature your event? Fill out this form.

saturday 8/17

wednesday 8/21

tuesday 8/27

Jobs (investor, operator, founding opportunities)

The Z List job drop, powered by Parallel. I swear by listing jobs on Parallel + finding new jobs on Parallel.

Remedy Product Studio - Remedy Product Studio partners, invests in, and builds digital products with seed to Series C startups. We offer a proven alternative to outsourcing, focusing on business outcomes and ROI, not just features. Our partners have raised $1B+, cut tech costs by 2.5x, and achieved 3 exits.

North Cloud - North cloud is an AI-powered platform that slashes cloud costs up to 50% by automating financial management and leveraging advanced analytics, freeing businesses to focus on growth.

Hypeshot - Hype simplifies crypto trading, offering a user-friendly platform for buying, selling, and sending crypto. Join our growing team to build the future of finance.

Want to get your jobs featured on the Z List? Sign up for the Parallel here.

Resources

  • Looking to hire & pay talent abroad? Deel allows you to easily hire, pay, and manage contractors and employees in 120+ countries. Get 20% off + a free HRIS by booking a demo at the link above.

  • Need a graphic designer? Celine has been a friend for 4 years and is an incredible designer. She’s worked on brands that you’ve definitely seen on Twitter.

  • Figuring out how to manage your money as a founder or wanna learn how to maximize your tax return?  Sign up for Carry.

  • Need an EA but can’t afford one? Howie is the fastest and most responsive scheduling assistant on earth. You can email him anytime to set up meetings and coordinate your calendar.

  • Hiring as an early-stage company? Parallel is the all-in-one hiring operating system, designed to convert top talent & maximize your hiring efficiency. Sign up for a free trial.

  • Want to make more money on your Shopify store? Platter is offering free website audits to identify opportunities to boost conversion rate and average order value. Grab a time while you can by clicking here.

  • Wanna start a newsletter? I use Beehiiv for all three of my newsletters. Cannot recommend enough (you get a discount)

  • Looking for a high profile speaker for your company's next event? The Trailblazers Agency is a speakers bureau that represents leading, diverse AAPI talent. As your companies organize events for Heritage Months, ERGs, Diwali(!), the Agency can connect you to inspiring, expert speakers across a broad range of industries. The Trailblazers Agency was born out of Z-List partnering organization, South Asian Trailblazers. The Trailblazers network has welcomed the likes of ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia, Actor Kal Penn, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan, and Legendary Investor Anjula Acharia, and many other top speakers. For more information, please contact South Asian Trailblazers here.

Discounts

  • Kulfi Beauty, use code “zehra” for 20% off. I use their concealer rose rush and their kajal eyeliners in nazar-no-more everyday.

Want to work with Zehra?

  • If you’re interested in working with me in any capacity I have some bandwidth and would love to learn more :) fill out this form. 

Please reply to this email if you'd like to amplify your events with the z list community or if you'd like to collaborate on an event together.

Have fun! 💥🧿✨👩🏻‍💻