Laurel Touby built and sold Mediabistro for ~$23M, giving her founder-level credibility and deep expertise in media, marketing, and the creator economy that she uses to connect portfolio companies with customers and talent rather than just writing checks. She's known for coaching founders on how to pitch VCs with tactical feedback on storytelling and avoiding jargon, while focusing on companies where community-building and network effects are central to the product based on her experience scaling Mediabistro through events and online communities. Laurel Touby built and sold Mediabistro for ~$23M, giving her founder-level credibility and deep expertise in media, marketing, and the creator economy that she uses to connect portfolio companies with customers and talent rather than just writing checks. She's known for coaching founders on how to pitch VCs with tactical feedback on storytelling and avoiding jargon, while focusing on companies where community-building and network effects are central to the product based on her experience scaling Mediabistro through events and online communities.