Leslie Goldman Tepper
Founding Partner at The Artemis Fund
Park City, Utah
Overview
Work Experience
Founding Partner
2024 - Current
General Partner & Co-Founder
2019 - 2024
The Artemis Fund was founded in 2019 by Leslie Goldman, Diana Murakhovskaya, and Stephanie Campbell with the specific mandate to invest in scalable, tech-enabled, female-founded companies that democratize access to wealth. We are one of the very few US seed-stage VC companies (less than 1%) that exclusively invests in female-founded and led companies. The Artemis Fund I portfolio includes 15 companies in fintech, e-commerce/blockchain, and care-tech. We launched The Artemis Fund II in January 2022 to continue to lead investments and provide value-add to our companies at the seed stage. Evidence shows that investing in women is good business: diverse teams deliver higher value and returns. Yet traditional venture firms are leaving money on the table by deploying only 2-3% of overall dollars to female founders and only about 12 - 15% to co-ed teams. Our extensive deal flow indicates that it is not a pipeline problem, and the innovative, forward-thinking founders stemming from our network provide us with an opportunity to build a uniquely strong portfolio. Current Artemis companies include: UNest, CNote, DressX, HopSkipDrive, Goodmylk, GoodFynd, Upgrade Boutique, Reel, Paloma, Work & Mother, Fundid, Host Co, Naborforce, Supermassiv, one more TBA, Good Patch (SPV), and Tempest (SPV). More to come!
The Artemis Fund invests in high-growth, tech-enabled companies led by women.
Board Member
2022
Deep Isolation provides a safe and permanent (patented) technology for the disposal of nuclear waste. Deep Isolation is the first and only organization to develop a complete solution that enables countries and governments to dispose of nuclear waste more quickly and for less than half the cost of traditional methods.
Advisory Board Member
2019 - 2022
Innovative startup with an equitable and environmentally protective solution for nuclear waste storage or disposal, a $500B untapped market.
Raised $22,600,000.00 from ARPA-E and ARPA-E.
Investment Committee Member
2019
Blue Ivy is part of the Alumni Venture Group of Funds and invests in a wide array of companies at the Seed and Growth stage.
Blue Ivy Ventures is a community of Yale alumni: investors, executives, entrepreneurs, and innovation enthusiasts.
Advisory Board Member
2021
Founded in 1999, YES is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to building the new generation of entrepreneurs in the Yale community and at a national level.
Strategic Advisor
2019
The Rebel Fund is a YCombinator focused venture capital fund, with Jared Heyman (YC Alum) as GP and YC Alum as Venture Partners.
Advisory Board Member
2019
SmartGurlz is a STEM education and entertainment company that creates products for kids and schools, aged 5 to 12. The company focuses on addressing the diversity gap in STEM with an aim to increase engagement levels for girls and minorities. The award-winning range includes its flagship product ‘SmartGurlz’: a series of robots, figures and apps for the consumer market and a promising new schools range called Smart Buddies aimed at grades K-K5.
As Seen on Shark Tank, the World's first coding robot for Girls.
Raised $1,644,535.00 from NYU Impact Investment Fund, Dean Bartosh, Sunmeet Jolly and Morgan Stanley.
Board Observer
2022 - 2024
Board Member
2021 - 2024
UNest is an app that makes it easier than ever for parents to invest and save for their kids' future.
Raised $39,200,000.00 from EXPERT DOJO.
Board Member
2021 - 2024
DRESSX is a fashion startup that offers digital-only collections from brands and 3D designers.
Raised $19,150,000.00 from Slow Ventures, Red DAO, Greenfield, The Artemis Fund and Warner Music Group.
Board Observer
2020 - 2024
CNote uses technology to unlock impactful investments that empower underserved communities while generating competitive returns. Invest in economic justice.
CNote enables corporations, foundations, and individuals to investment and make deposits into underserved communities.
Raised $25,611,385.00 from Astia, BankTech Ventures, The Artemis Fund, Commerce Ventures, BLD Brands, Rebalance Capital, Hatzimemos / Libby, Golden Seeds, CityRock Venture Partners and American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact.