NEWPORT, R.I. — RIHub’s New England Female Founders (NEFF) event returns to Newport on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, bringing together founders, investors, executives and innovation leaders from across New England for an afternoon focused on entrepreneurship, investment and meaningful connections.
Held at the iconic Ocean Cliff Hotel, the event serves as the closing program of the Opal Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum, creating a unique opportunity for family offices, venture capital firms, angel investors and private investors from around the country to connect with many of New England’s most promising women-led startups in a single afternoon.
Following the success of last year’s event, which welcomed nearly 300 attendees, organizers expect another strong turnout of founders, investors and ecosystem leaders from throughout the Northeast. The event is expected to be Rhode Island’s largest gathering of women entrepreneurs leading high-growth startups alongside investors and business leaders.
The conversation comes at a pivotal time for venture capital. Despite evidence that women-led startups deliver strong returns, female-only founding teams received just 2.3% of global venture capital investment in 2024, according to the 2025 Founders Forum Diversity Report, underscoring the need to expand access to investors, networks and capital for women entrepreneurs.
This year’s keynote speaker is Lata Setty, Founding LP, Investor and Deal Flow Advisor at How Women Invest. Setty is a globally recognized venture investor and champion of female entrepreneurship, having mobilized thousands of first-time women investors through How Women Invest.
“The next generation of venture-backed companies won’t just redefine industries—they’ll solve the world’s most urgent challenges. That future will be built by diverse founders,” said Setty.
“Investing in women isn’t ‘checking a box’—it’s smart business. If every $1 invested in a female founder can deliver 2× the ROI of the same dollar invested in a male founder, the real question is: Who’s the risky investment? Perhaps the most overlooked asset class in venture isn’t AI—it’s women founders.”
Following the keynote, attendees will hear from an accomplished panel of leaders representing venture capital, entrepreneurship and innovation, including Naseem Sayani, Richard Lipkin, Rachel Butler, Ange Matthews and Tom Sperry. The discussion will explore today’s investment landscape and practical advice for founders building high-growth companies.
New for 2026, RIHub will introduce Founder Deal Rooms, an exclusive opportunity for twelve carefully selected female founders actively raising capital. During the networking reception, each founder will host an investment table where family offices, angel investors and venture capital firms can connect directly with companies, explore opportunities and begin meaningful investment conversations.
“New England Female Founders is about creating access,” said Annette Tonti, Managing Director of RIHub and founder of the New England Female Founders initiative. “By bringing together family offices, venture capital leaders and some of the region’s most promising women entrepreneurs in one place, we’re creating the kinds of collisions that lead to investment, partnerships and lasting business growth.”
The startups selected to participate in the NEFF Deal Rooms are: Mixta, CenaHealth, Modality, Zula Therapeutics, Sprout Labs, TEEM Therapeutics, Healthy Babies, Happy Moms, Aleoop, Viv for your V, Zmanti, FinSight Intelligence and NautIQ Technologies.
New England Female Founders offers an afternoon of thought-provoking conversation, high-value networking and direct engagement with entrepreneurs shaping the future of technology, healthcare, life sciences and other high-growth industries.
For registration and additional event information, visit rihub.org/neff.
About RIHub
RIHub is Rhode Island and Southeastern New England’s innovation hub, accelerating high-growth startups through mentoring, education, access to capital and strategic connections. Serving entrepreneurs across Rhode Island and Southeastern New England, RIHub works to build a thriving innovation ecosystem that creates jobs, attracts investment and strengthens the region’s economy.
Media Contact:
Annette Tonti
Managing Director, RIHub
401-829-1051
atonti@rihub.org
rihub.org