Mariah "Roman" Lichtenstern brings a distinctive perspective to venture capital, having grown up in foster care before becoming an investor focused on closing wealth, wage, and funding gaps through policy advocacy like modernizing accredited investor rules. As Managing Director of Founder Institute Sacramento, she normalizes family-forward entrepreneurship by creating child-friendly spaces during startup sessions and uses her cross-disciplinary background in technology, entertainment, and venture capital to blend storytelling with startup finance.

• Championing diversity and inclusion within the venture capital ecosystem. Promoted opportunities for aspiring VCs from underrepresented backgrounds to receive full scholarships for VC University, covering tuition and mentorship.
• Active involvement in organizing and attending tangible business education events. Shared detailed agendas for a small business summit, highlighting workshops on practical topics like transitioning from bootstrapping to venture backing and coping with the mental stress of business ownership.
• Appreciation for music and cultural vibes as a way to connect. Frequently shares personal playlists ranging from Christian R&B to Drake and mentioned singing and dancing at a Code2040 party in San Francisco.
• Focus on intergenerational wealth and youth education. Tweeted about a program designed to teach children business skills simultaneously while their parents attend professional networking mixers.
• Interest in the intersection of technology and creativity. Discussed how her daughter is already composing using vocaloids, noting that the barrier to entry has changed regarding how youth interact with new creative tech tools.
• Acknowledgment of market disruption and changing industry narratives. Referenced how the industry initially doubted Netflix to make a point about how established opinions can often be wrong about new business models.