Colleen Becker, PhD

Inquirer
DISC Type : dc

AV Scout at Alumni Ventures

New York, New York, United States

Overview

Colleen is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and venture specialist with a PhD from Columbia University. As an EIR and Venture Scout, she focuses on DeepTech, HardTech, and ClimateTech, supporting founders from pre-seed to Series B. Colleagues describe her as a sharp, knowledgeable, and thoughtful strategist who provides invaluable clarity and connections.

Originally an art historian with a background at institutions like the Guggenheim and Smithsonian, Colleen is a proud Luxembourg-American. She maintains a strong interest in the intersection of energy, security, and geopolitics, recently attending Columbias Global Energy Summit.

She is the founder of Sampson Solutions, which won the grand prize at the Women Startup Challenge Europe for creating bio-based construction materials.

Personality Overview

Upfront

Demanding

Judgemental

They care equally about the product and its potential impact.  They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles. They can be nudged to make faster decisions by offering what they value.

Topics They Care About

DeepTech Investing
As an EIR and scout for Alumni Ventures and Humanum, she sources and advises early-stage DeepTech, HardTech, and human-centric systems startups.
ClimateTech Innovation
She mentors startups within the ClimateTech Expertise Network at Columbia Technology Ventures, focusing on sustainability, circular economy, and advanced materials.
Sustainable Materials
Her startup, Sampson Solutions, won multiple awards for creating bio-based construction materials from sustainable sources with a carbon-neutral process.

Media Appearances

Colleen has no verified media appearances

Work History

2-2026
AV Scout at Alumni Ventures
11-2025
Venture Scout at Humanum
4-2025
Entrepreneur in Residence at ClimateTech Expertise Network (CEN)
7-2024
Strategic Advisory Board at PTech
4-2024
AV Expert at Alumni Ventures

Education

2003 - 2008
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Master of Arts - MA from New York University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : N/A Location : New York, New York, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : AV Scout at Alumni Ventures
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Insights For Selling To Colleen

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Highlight the competitive differentiation of your product
  • Make sure that you you respond to any queries from them quickly
  • Be crisp while making the pitch

DONT's

  • Avoid repeating yourself or making generalizations
  • Do not give up if they are not convinced, try again with a different approach
  • Refrain from asking too many questions

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Colleen is

  • Conviction in the product matters to them, followed by proof points and strong testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Colleen

  • They may not be very forthcoming, but they will say no if needed.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Colleen move?

  • Their decision making speed is somewhere in the middle.
  • Can Colleen take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks but after weighing up the pros and cons.

You And Colleen

Personality Compatibility


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