2020 was the most active year in the U.S. for IPOs, and 2021 isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, the pace of company exits is expected to accelerate.

Why it matters: Given the recent IPO frenzy, startups and founders are going the extra mile to help employees understand their equity and avoid unnecessary costs. Here are three reasons why companies are educating their employees about their equity.

The VC community has met the rising challenges and opportunities presented by a global pandemic, playing a pivotal role in the country’s economic recovery, and galvanizing an internal industry-facing focus on DEI.

Why it matters: Venture Forward has been there on the frontline of these efforts to create a stronger, more diverse, equitable, and ultimately, a more just VC ecosystem. Check out highlights from Venture Forward’s first year.

Launched in 2019, VC University ONLINE is an educational certificate course, jointly operated by NVCA, Venture Forward, and Startup@BerkeleyLaw. Serving more than 200 participants, the June 2021 cohort will mark our seventh sold–out course.

Impact on VC: The course aims to support underrepresented populations of aspiring VCs, driving DEI in the industry.

We spoke with Brian R. Smith, Managing Director of S3 Ventures, and Stephen Bohanon, Founder of Alkami, to discuss the dynamic relationship between our VC members and their innovative portfolio companies around the nation.

Making an impact: Vision and trust from portfolio companies is driving significant growth for our VC members.

We spoke with Thomas d’Halluin, Managing Partner at Airbus Ventures, and with Daniel Ceperley, Founder and CEO of LeoLabs, an Airbus Ventures portfolio company, to discuss the dynamic relationship between our VC members and their innovative portfolio companies around the nation.

The main idea: Partnerships are key to success, learn how these experts are doing it.

In honor of Black History Month, we want to reflect on some of the positives and progress in the industry by highlighting a few leaders, organizations, and efforts that are driving meaningful change for more Black representation in VC.

Why it matters: DEI is critical to fostering a successful venture ecosystem.

In this episode of Harry Stebbings’s podcast, The Twenty Minute VC, Barry Eggers, Founding Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners and Board Chair for NVCA, discusses the implications of a Biden vs. Trump administration on venture and startups, how the rise of SPACs will impact venture, and more.

The big picture: Numerous regulatory and industry issues are impacting the VC community – discover how to navigate the risks.

Many U.S. VC-backed startups are helping fight COVID-19 by developing, testing, and implementing treatments that can manage, alleviate, or even prevent the symptoms of the virus.

The big picture: NVCA created a Startups Combating COVID tracker showcasing startups supporting the fight against COVID-19. Here are a few highlights of those companies.