Amiah Sheppard

About Amiah Sheppard

I help early-stage founders gain clarity, confidence, and a fundable story through high-impact workshops and pitch training. As a VC, LP, and internationally recognized Pitch Coach and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, I blend transformational leadership, business strategy, and holistic founder development to help organizations strengthen their entrepreneurship programming and improve founder outcomes.Today, I lead entrepreneurial programming and funding initiatives at USC’s Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies & Greif LaunchPad while running Sheppard Consulting Group, where I partner with universities, accelerators, nonprofits, and workforce development organizations to deliver founder-ready workshops on business clarity, storytelling, and investor-level pitching.My background spans 7+ years across venture capital, executive coaching, and performance leadership. At Backstage Capital, I supported and invested in more than 100 underrepresented founders and led an international accelerator for 24 diverse entrepreneurs. I’ve also directed accelerator programming at Plug In Ventures and Watts Labor Community Action Committee; as well as have been recognized by HBCUvc’s 30 Under 30, VentureFuel’s Visionary Investor of the Year, Pledge LA\'s Ecosystem Builder of the Year 2024 and leadership organizations including The Gathering Spot, the American Red Cross, Street Soccer USA, and Columbia SoCal Alumni Association.I’ve taught pitch and clarity workshops for founder ecosystems globally, including Startup Grind HQ, Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator, FoundersBoost, and Pharrell’s Black Ambition Fund—helping founders accelerate their progress, communicate their value, and unlock capital opportunities faster.If you\'re an entrepreneurship program, university department, corporate impact team, or nonprofit supporting small business owners and want to strengthen founder outcomes through dynamic, actionable workshops, let’s talk. Email: a••••@sheppardconsultinggroup.com founders seeking 1:1 or group pitch sprints:Pitch Sprint 1:1 — https://calendly.com/amiahsheppardblpusc/pitch-sprint-1-1-meetingsPitch Sprint Groups — https://calendly.com/amiahsheppardblpusc/pitch-sprint-group-sessions

Experience

1. Pitch Coach

   Sheppard Consulting Group

   Jan 2020 — Present · Los Angeles, CA, US

   Sheppard Consulting Group provides several consulting and advisory services to small businesses, startups and non-profits and has helped our clients secure over $70 million in funding to date. I design and deliver high-energy workshops that help early-stage founders gain clarity, communicate their value, and pitch with confidence. I partner with universities, accelerators, incubators, and founder-focused nonprofits to strengthen their programming and improve founder outcomes through actionable and interactive training.Specialties:• Founder clarity & business story development• Pitch sprint intensives (1:1 + group)• Messaging, positioning, and narrative framing• Confidence-building and decision-making for early founders• Youth entrepreneurship workshopsSelected Results:• Trained 300+ founders across 20+ programs• Improved founder pitch readiness and clarity within 60–90 minutes• Helped org partners increase participant engagement & program retention• Supported founders who went on to secure funding, pilots, and partnershipsThe principal officer of Sheppard Consulting Group envisions a entrepreneurial ecosystem where all founders have access to the resources and funding necessary to grow and thrive sustainably.

Education

• St. Mary's Academy

  High School Diploma

  2010 — 2013

• Columbia University

  Bachelor's degree, Sociology

  2013 — 2017

• Barnard College

  Sociology

  2013 — 2017

• Wake Forest University School of Business

  Business Administration and Management, General

  2017 — 2017

• The Chicago School

  Master's degree, Industrial and Organizational Psychology

• Spelman College

  Sociology

  2015 — 2015

Skills

• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Customer Service
• Vocal
• Analysis
• English
• Marketing Strategy
• Science
• Public Speaking
• Windows
• Research
• Outlook
• Microsoft Office
• Engineering
• Microsoft Word