The Garage Welcomes Clarence Bethea of What VCs Won't Say to Support and Challenge Northwestern Entrepreneurs

At The Garage, we believe the most valuable entrepreneurial lessons come from people who have actually built companies, weathered the setbacks, and lived the realities of startup growth firsthand. That's why we're excited to welcome founder and investor Clarence Bethea to Jumpstart this summer.

Clarence's story is one of persistence. After hearing no from 153 investors, he went on to raise more than $30 million in venture capital, build and scale Upsie, and exit the company in 2023. Today, he is an investor at one of Silicon Valley's leading early-stage firms and the host of What VCs Won't Say, where he talks openly about the parts of building and fundraising that most founders and investors keep to themselves. 

"What makes Clarence’s perspective particularly valuable is the breadth of his experience. He has been a founder navigating uncertainty, a leader scaling a business, and an investor evaluating opportunities.” said Mike Raab, Executive Director of The Garage. “His journey offers lessons that extend far beyond fundraising, touching on leadership, resilience, decision-making, growth, and the realities of entrepreneurship.”

Through this partnership, Northwestern founders will have the opportunity to learn from Clarence’s experiences, gain practical insights into building and growing a company, and engage in meaningful conversations about the challenges and opportunities that entrepreneurs face at every stage of the journey.

Raab sees the visit as an extension of The Garage's core mission. "At The Garage, our mission is to help students transform ideas into action. By connecting founders with experienced entrepreneurs and operators, we create opportunities for learning that extend far beyond the classroom and help prepare students for the realities of building something meaningful.”