Black Swan: The Founder's Room Event

Join us at The Founder’s Room | Black Swan’s Entrepreneurship & Networking Night

Whether you're thriving in a 9–5, building something on the side, or gearing up to take the leap. This is your space to learn and be inspired.

Who’s This For?

🚀 Founders or curious professionals
🎯 You haven’t raised VC funding (yet) or you’re still figuring out if you should
🎤 Want the opportunity to pitch live and get feedback
Curious about what it really takes to go from 9–5 to founder? You’ll hear it here
Plus: Authentic conversations, music, and open networking 

What to Expect

• Honest insights from Maria Rotilu on validation, revenue models & fundraising

• How VCs assess team and go-to-market strategy

• Practical strategies for getting started

• Fundraising advice

• A candid story of moving from a 9–5 to full-time founder

• Live pitches from attendees with real-time feedback

About Speakers

Maria Rotilu - Maria is the Founding Partner at Openseed VC, a £10million venture fund, where she invests up to $150k. Maria’s journey has included scaling Uber in emerging markets, managing the Oxford Seed Fund during her MBA, and working at Octopus First Cheque before launching her fund. With a background as an operator-turned-investor, she specialises in backing tech founders from day zero, drawing on her leadership roles at Uber and Branch.co. She holds an MBA from the University of Oxford, a BSc. in Computer Science from Covenant University, and is a certified Chartered Accountant with the ACCA.

Emmanuel Ojo - Emmanuel is the Founder of Soft Life Ski, Europe’s largest Afro-Caribbean Ski & Music Festival, championing inclusion and representation in winter experiences. Before launching Soft Life Ski, he previously co-founded Peek, a venture backed reading app; this was backed by Comcast NBCUniversal, Techstars, Pioneer, and top-tier creators. Emmanuel began his career in Sales & Trading at a global investment bank, where he developed a strong foundation in financial markets. He holds a BSc. in Economics from the University of Nottingham.

Event Details: 

31st July 2025 - 6.30pm - Ona.Studio @ 65-69 East Road, Old Street, N1 6AH - Smart / Smart Casual / Casual.

🎟️ Tickets: Reserve your spot today! Please note that this event is exclusively for professionals or entrepreneurs, and unfortunately undergraduate students are not permitted at this time.

🤝 Connect with Us: Instagram and Whatsapp 

Who Are We?

Black Swan is a community-based network for young professionals. Through our events, our aim is to help people foster relationships and build a community across an array of industries.

Photography Disclaimer:
By purchasing a ticket and attending a Black Swan event, you acknowledge and consent to being photographed or recorded during the event. These images and videos may be used for promotional purposes by Black Swan Events. If you do not wish to be photographed, please notify the Black Swan staff upon arrival.

Please Note: All sales are final and non-refundable. We look forward to seeing you at the event!

Black Swan 🖤