Sessions · Advisor session
How to Run a Startup Pilot That Converts
Thursday, September 3, 2026 · 2–3 PM PDT
This session has ended.
About this session
Getting a company to agree to a pilot is only the beginning. The hard part is running it in a way that creates a clear path to a real customer relationship.
For one hour, we’ll work through a founder’s active customer pilot with Marisa Warren, Founder and Managing Partner of ALIAVIA Ventures. We’ll look at the decisions that determine whether a pilot moves forward or quietly stalls: boundaries, success criteria, milestones, stakeholders, commercial expectations and what happens when the pilot ends.
This session is specifically about running customer pilots. It is not about finding or working with design partners, co-developing a product with early users, or general customer discovery.
We’ll use a real pilot that is happening right now, not a case study or hypothetical.
What you’ll work through:
- Define clear success criteria, scope, milestones, and timing
- Keep the pilot moving and manage the stakeholders who determine what happens next
- Recognize why pilots stall and how to get them back on track
- Turn a successful pilot into a clear commercial decision
If you have a pilot underway, one about to kick off, or one that has stalled before reaching a decision, bring it.
Hosting this session
Marisa Warren
Founder & Managing Partner, ALIAVIA Ventures
Marisa has more than 26 years experience in tech as a VC investor, board member and operator working for companies like SAP, Microsoft and Workday. As Founder and Managing Partner of ALIAVIA Ventures and Founder of ELEVACAO, Marisa invests in female founded tech startups across the U.S. and Australia. Investments include; Loupe (Exit to Stingray (TSX: RAY.A; RAY.B)), Neighbourlytics (Exit to ASX:REA), InsightWise, Human Health, GoFigr, HowToo, Eugene, Othelia, Digiphy and Ginko.
Beginning her career in enterprise software sales in 2001, Marisa went on to build the Microsoft Partner Development Centre for Australia and Southeast Asia. Marisa was responsible for building the business from concept to facilitating programs for the Microsoft Dynamics partners that focused on accelerating business growth and profitability. Marisa's efforts resulted in customer acquisition targets exceeding 230% and received the Microsoft Global Best-Practice award.
Whilst managing the Southern Region channel business at SAP Australia, Marisa conceptualized and built the SAP Partner Sales Academy, a program supporting partners to source, train and deploy SAP-qualified and revenue-ready salespeople into the channel. Marisa's efforts resulted in receiving an Innovation Excellence Award for developing the SAP Sales Academy program, growing the customer base from 140 to 850 in 3 years and a 100% Sales Club Award.
Marisa left big corporate in 2015 to pursue her passion for early-stage businesses. Whilst living in New York, Marisa founded ELEVACAO a global pre-accelerator for women tech founders. Fast forward to today and ELEVACAO has empowered 175 women across the U.S. and Australia, who have raised $120m+ and produced 5 Exits.
In 2020, Marisa co-founded ALIAVIA Ventures, a California-based venture capital firm investing in early-stage female founders building world-changing technology companies in the United States and Australia.
Marisa frequently speaks at events as MC, keynote speaker, judge or moderator, including; SXSW Austin & Sydney, TechCrunch Disrupt New York and San Francisco, Startup Grind APAC, Microsoft, Dreamforce, SAP, Macquarie Bank, Commonwealth Bank, CISCO, Australia-Japan Business Conference, Mums & Co an IAG business, FIRST Robotics, Harvard Club NYC.
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.