Sessions · Advisor session
Pitch Deck Teardown LIVE: A Real VC Reviews a Real Founder's Deck
Thursday, August 20, 2026 · 12–1 PM PDT
This session has ended.
About this session
Most pitch deck advice is generic. This isn't.
For one hour, you'll watch a seasoned VC open up a real founder's actual pitch deck - slide by slide - and react the way she would in a real partner meeting. No hypotheticals, no polished "after" version. Just an honest, live teardown of a deck that's out in the world right now.
The VC: Ben Nahir, PhD is a Partner at Elevate Capital, a Portland-based fund backing underrepresented founders across enterprise software, healthcare, biotech, cleantech and fintech. A former research neuroscientist turned investor, he sees 25–30 pitches a month and has helped deploy over $7.5M of early capital into 45 startups through TiE Oregon Angels. He writes some of the first checks into companies and invests at the earliest, hardest stage to fund — where the story matters as much as the numbers.
What you'll get:
A live, slide-by-slide review of a real seed-stage deck
What a VC actually looks for - and what makes them lose interest
The difference between a slide that "works" and one that raises questions
Open Q&A: bring your own deck questions and pitch challenges
Whether you're actively fundraising, refining your story, or just want to understand how investors really read a deck, this is a rare look behind the curtain.
Hosting this session
Benjamin Nahir
Partner, Elevate Capital
Ben is a neuroscientist-turned-investor who uses a data-driven approach to identify, research, and recommend investment opportunities. At Elevate, Ben oversees investments across Elevate’s expanding funds and helps scale early-stage companies into thriving, sustainable businesses. He is well known throughout the ecosystem for his collaborative approach and commitment to serving as a mentor, advisor, and connector within Elevate’s portfolio community.
Beyond his work at Elevate Capital, Ben has been a cornerstone of Oregon’s startup community for over a decade through his involvement with TiE Oregon Angels and TiE Global Angels, providing strategic guidance and capital insights to early-stage entrepreneurs. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute (OTRADI) and the Oregon Biosciences Incubator (OBI).
Ben received his BS in Mathematical Biology from Harvey Mudd, his MBA from Portland State University, and a Doctorate in Philosophy in Neuroscience from the University of Florida.
Next step
Have a question behind the session?
Share what you’re working through. If your company qualifies, we’ll reply personally within 24 hours.
For companies that have raised at least $1M from venture firms.