Sydney Sykes took an unusual route into venture capital, starting as NEA's first analyst right out of college before working at a small wedding invitation business and then at the fashion company Dolls Kill, an experience that taught her to value founders who deeply understand a specific group of customers, like goths or ravers, rather than trying to appeal to everyone. She co-founded BLCK VC after seeing firsthand how isolating it could be for Black investors entering the industry without an established community, and she now stands out for describing venture as a system where LPs have outsized influence over funds and founders, for pushing founders to build their cap tables strategically rather than just filling them with famous names, and for urging more attention to energy and data-center infrastructure as key parts of the AI boom.