6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EST
Recap
independent
Ugly Talk: Why They Didn’t Invest
Photo gallery
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EST
About Event
Most founders never hear the real reason an investor passed.
The feedback is vague. The follow-up goes quiet. And founders are left guessing whether it was the pitch, the numbers, the market or something they didn’t even realize they were signaling.
This Ugly Talk pulls back the curtain on investor “no’s.” Not the polite ones, but the real ones: flawed data rooms, misaligned narratives, weak fundamentals, and timing mistakes that quietly kill deals. We’ll also examine the deals investors regret passing on and what founders can learn from those misses.
Featured speakers.
Emilio Escartin is a senior investment professional with over 30 years of experience across private equity, venture capital, and banking, spanning public and private equities, startups, and SMEs. Brings deep, hands-on expertise in deal structuring and the global raising of PE and VC funds, with a proven track record working with large institutional LPs, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Maintains a strong international network across Europe, Latin America, the United States, and the Middle East (GCC). An alumnus of IESE Business School and CUNEF, with executive education from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Currently serves as a Visiting Professor of Finance at IE Business School.
Francisco is an Investor at Angeles Ventures, focusing on seed-stage startups. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and has experience in investment banking at Citigroup, in startups (both at one he launched and at a fintech startup that was later acquired), and in venture investing at Citi Ventures as well as Angeles Investors & Ventures.
Nelly Ortiz is a futurist, angel investor, and international speaker focused on building and backing companies that expand human potential. A three-time award-winning woman in tech and certified Design Thinking Coach, she has led digital strategy and innovation initiatives at global firms including IBM, Mindtree, Globant, and NTT Data. Today, Nelly invests her time and resources in early-stage ventures at the intersection of longevity, human soft skills, and biohacking. As a Latina investor and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 leaders and founders alike, she is known for translating emerging technologies - from GenAI to immersive and wellness-driven solutions - into scalable, human-centered impact.
Eugenia María Di Marco is the Founder of Sisu Powerhouse, a Miami-based legal strategy firm helping startups and venture funds scale across borders without breaking under pressure. She works at the intersection of law, capital, and high-stakes growth, designing governance and deal structures that survive real due diligence. Eugenia has advised 100+ founders and investors across Silicon Valley, Buenos Aires, Milan, and now Miami. She is also a Venture Partner at Big Sky Capital (Forbes VC of the Year 2024). Her focus: building companies that are not just exciting, but defensible when things get ugly.
Who's hosting it.
Roberto Garcia is a product leader and founder focused on building technology-driven platforms at the intersection of startups, community, and operations. He founded Venture Week Miami to connect founders, investors, and operators. He has led product initiatives across SaaS, incident management systems, and EdTech.
Questions? Talk@UglyTalk.com
Location
Mana Tech
21 SE 1st Ave #10
Miami