Danielle Strachman

Co-Founder & General Partner, 1517 Fund

Danielle Strachman is the Founder and General Partner at 1517 Fund, a venture capital firm that backs bold technologists often outside traditional institutions. Since 2015, she’s led 1517’s work supporting hackers, makers, and scientists through grant, pre-seed, and seed funding, with a focus on founders who forge their own path and learn by doing. Before launching 1517, Danielle helped design and lead the Thiel Fellowship, where she worked with Peter Thiel to reimagine what’s possible when young people build instead of enroll. As a founding team member and program director, she helped shape the Fellowship and build the Thiel Foundation Summit community of over 1,000 emerging innovators.

Danielle’s roots are in progressive education: she co-founded Innovations Academy, a charter school that emphasized creative, student-centered learning, and worked across the charter school ecosystem as a consultant and advisor. Her approach across all her ventures, whether education or venture capital, is grounded in helping people pursue ideas that matter, without waiting for permission.

Funders’ Fishbowl

At Responsive Conference 2025, Danielle Strachman joins Eric Bahn and Virginie Raphael for the Funders’ Fishbowl – an interactive, unscripted session with funders rethinking what it means to back the next generation of builders. Drawing from her work at the 1517 Fund, Danielle brings a sharp perspective on supporting outsiders and first-principles founders – those who defy traditional credentials, drop out of expected paths, and invent entirely new lanes.

As the venture world undergoes a major shift, this trio will dive into how capital can evolve to meet the realities of today’s messy, fast-moving landscape. They’ll explore what it looks like to fund ideas that don’t fit the mold, to support talent that’s often overlooked, and to challenge the myth of the “ideal” founder. Expect bold questions, honest stories, and a reimagining of where funding should go next, because building the future means funding differently now. And in a moment where systems feel stuck, this session offers a rare glimpse into what it takes to actually move them.