For first-time venture-backed CEOs

When your board isn't working, it puts everything on hard mode.

Board dynamics taking up more mental space than they should? Let's change that.

Let's talk → See if this sounds familiar ↓
Liz Rockett
Sound familiar?

Does it have to be this way?

If you're a first-time VC-backed CEO, it can be hard to discern healthy pressure from problematic behavior from key stakeholders – board members, investors, even cofounders. If you're nodding at any of these, you're not alone – let's talk.

› You're fielding endless concerns and reporting requests, without clear strategic value.
› You find yourself spending too many cycles trying to “do what the board wants.”
› You’re heading into a pivot, a fundraise, a leadership transition — and getting the board there feels like a second job.
› You feel alone with board issues. Your team, your earlier investors, other board members — all have a horse in the race.
› The support your investors promised isn’t what you’re getting.
› The whole situation is just… less than ideal.
What We Work On

The things you can’t talk to anyone about any more.

Board dynamics. Investor relationships. Strategy under pressure. My job is to help you level up and move with confidence.

01 — Board Management

Lead your board, don’t just survive it.

  • Right-size the difficult board member
  • Lead board conversations as the driver, not the presenter
  • Navigate board politics without losing allies
  • Turn your board into something that works for you
02 — Strategy

Make high-stakes decisions with clarity.

  • Pressure-test your thinking with someone who has served on 11 VC-backed boards, but (helpfully) isn’t on yours
  • Work through a pivot, a reorg, and other moments of uncertainty
  • Get unstuck when the path forward feels unclear
  • Align the board and move forward with confidence
03 — Investor Management

Decode investors and control your narrative.

  • Understand what’s behind investor behavior
  • Navigate a shift in an investor relationship
  • Prepare for a fundraise when your current investors are…complicated
  • Build a narrative that gives investors confidence
How It Works

You shouldn’t have to figure this out alone.

Here’s how I like to work:

01

We talk.

A free 30-minute call, with no pitch, and no pressure. This one can be a venting session, or focused around a question. Everything you share with me is confidential.

02

We dig in.

If there’s something I can help with, I like to start with a single session. The equivalent of a long lunch. We dive into board dynamics, investor relationships, company trajectory, and how you’re showing up as a leader. Some CEOs take it from there. Others choose to partner to shift the dynamics and level-up their leadership.

03

We shift it.

Now you’re not alone. An ongoing advisory relationship built around your needs. Weekly calls, ad hoc chats and reviews when things heat up, tools and supports. All with a goal of changing unhealthy dynamics – and, most importantly, how you show up inside them.

Start the conversation →
What does it look like?

Ways to work together.

From a single session to an ongoing partnership, what you need to create change.

The Deep Dive
One session to surface what needs to shift.
  • We get into board and investor dynamics and how you lead
  • You get a clear picture of the possible paths
  • One-and-done, or a launchpad for our work together
Inquire →
Most Common
In Your Corner
So you can get back to running your company.
  • Weekly sessions around your board meeting cycle
  • On-call between sessions
  • Shifting the dynamics — and how you show up in them
  • Low-value board & investor cycles take up less of your time
Let’s talk →
Transaction Support
When you’re raising or selling, create the future you want.
  • All of the above, plus daily real-time access
  • Insider on your side to decode terms and tactics
  • Resets are possible in transactions. I’ll help you see where.
Discuss →

Not sure which fits? Start with a call — we’ll figure it out together.

What CEOs Say

These conversations don’t usually happen out loud.

For most of my CEO peers, it’s not so much loneliness, it’s the need for a trusted confidant. For me, that’s someone I can call for an unvarnished reality check or simply a brainstorm. My team members and board members inevitably have their own perspectives or vested interests, which can make it difficult to find truly impartial counsel. Having Liz on speed dial when weighing a major decision has been game-changing.
Founder & CEO, Series B
Tech-Enabled Service
I have managed boards and raised money before, but this is my first time as CEO. I wanted an objective advisor who could assess situations without personal or political bias and help me navigate them effectively. Before we started working together, I’m not sure I realized how much I could benefit from it.
CEO, Series C
Digital Health

Client relationships are always held in confidence — including the kind folks who have shared testimonials.

Liz Rockett
About Liz

An investor in your corner.

I’ve served on 11 boards over 15 years as an investor. I’ve been in the room. I know how investors think, what they’re worrying about, and what they say after you leave.

And because I have no stake in your company, no relationships to protect, no agenda of my own, we can be honest in a way you can’t be with almost anyone else right now.

  • Managing Director, Kaiser Permanente Ventures
  • Head of Health Impact Investing, Imprint Capital (acquired by Goldman Sachs)
  • Select Boards: Everytable, Big Health, OssoVR, Omada
  • Investment Committee: Rock Health, Acumen
  • Faculty, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

I work with a small number of CEOs at a time. Every engagement is confidential.

LinkedIn →

Ready to make VC work for you?

If the CEO-board relationship feels like more of a distraction than a driver — let's fix that. A quick call is free. Getting stuck isn't.

Schedule a Call → Email Liz
Resources

From the Field

Resource

Dealing with Difficult Boards

A diagnostic for first-time CEOs navigating venture-backed boards. Download free.

Download →
Insights

Your Board Needs You in the Driver’s Seat

Having a board is different than having a boss.

Read →
Insights

How to Work with VC

What most first-time CEOs don’t know about taking venture capital.

Read →