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April has been busy, and in the best way possible. Wallet Max’s successful New York Fintech/AI Pitch Competition and Investor/Expert Panel Discussion was an excellent way to celebrate Earth Month. So many of our wonderful contestants and judges care not only about profit incentives but long-lasting value creation and doing good for people and the planet.

These winners, of course, will be automatically added to the running for our annual Emerald Summit Awards 2026, which is now open to partners, sponsors, and volunteers.

In this issue, we focus on our winners, upcoming events, and climate matters. In particular, we’ll look at how Millennials and Gen-Z can make a difference. We’ll also recap our January investor interview with Aaron Walker, the founder and Managing Partner at Ruthless for Good Fund on successful impact investing.

Pass this newsletter along to your climate-conscious colleagues (they’ll thank you later).

The next 12-week sprint for the Wallet Max Fundraising Mastermind will begin on May 20th. This cohort will run from May 20th to July 5th, with LIVE discussions, workshops, and hands-on activities every Wednesday from 9-10 AM PT/12-1 PM ET.

Unlike other programs, this mastermind is designed as a repeatable 12-week sprint you can join multiple times as your raise evolves.

Each sprint provides:

This isn’t just a sit-there-and-take-notes course. Most time spent isn’t in the mastermind, but in actively identifying investors and performing outreach. And as many founders know, every sprint builds momentum, helping you stay consistent and supported throughout the 6–9 month fundraising process.

Don’t wait. Jumpstart your fundraising and join today 👇

We are very excited to be hosting a curated fundraising event in Deep Tech/AI during New York Tech Week on June 1st. Every year, this event brings together startup founders, investors, operators, and corporate ecosystem builders for an engaging night of networking, investing, professional advancement, and learning.

Save your seat to:

​If you are a tech-enabled startup in any industry, or a tech investor/operator, do submit your application to pitch or judge or speak. Deadline for all submission is May 8th, 2026.

Sign up today to attend & network: getwalletmax.com/contact

"Is AI being built for collective good or concentrated profit?"

This question typifies the increasing tension between technology and society.

In this LIVE Women in AI session, we move beyond institutions and education to focus on community power and collective agency in the AI ecosystem.

Steph Wright, CEO & Co-Founder of Our AI Collective, weighed in on where the tension between public good and profit shows up in AI today, who holds the power in shaping AI systems, and why community-led perspectives are critical to responsible AI.

We examined:

✅ what it takes to ensure AI reflects human values,
✅ protects rights,
✅ and strengthens democratic systems,
✅ not just market outcomes.

Watch the full replay of our interview below:

This year’s Fintech Week in NYC on April 20th, 2026 was a resounding success and the Wallet Max team is so thankful to have been a part of it. Our judges, competitors, and attendees contributed to an amazing evening filled with deep conversations, new connections, productive debates, and enjoyable networking 🎉

We would like to announce the winners, all of whom will be automatically entered into Wallet Max’s Annual Emerald Summit & Bold World Awards Competition on September 18, 2026.

🥇 Winner #1: ​Inncivio - Ghassen Benhadjsalah

🥈 Winner #2: ​Merble - Shivam Goyal

🥉 Winner #3: ​Quantuma - Adnan Haider

Continue the conversation with our judges/speakers:

⚡Anthemis - Sherrise Pond

⚡CLU Ventures - Caroline-Lucie Ulbrich

⚡Encompass Corporation - Heather Balke

⚡Reframe Partners - Tiffany Pek

⚡Wallet Max - Bhuva Shakti

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who participated and supported!

The Artemis launch reminded us that there is one beautiful planet for us. There is no plan B, no alternative earth.

And this can be overwhelming when we read climate news. Scientists are shifting towards worst-case scenarios. From the collapse of the Atlantic current to expanding desertification of the US. Increasing geopolitical conflict makes climate advocacy and action seem impossible.

But there is hope.

Millennials and Gen-Z, in particular these generations in the Global South and highly vulnerable communities, are aware that there’s only one planet. And many are interested in taking action. Take these uplifting and pragmatic examples:

These are just a few instances of everyday people doing amazing things to help the planet. It’s important, especially when the news feels bleak, to stake a step back and determine how we can make a difference. The World Economic Forum has a few more ideas that I’ll share here:

Aaron is currently the founder and Managing Partner at Ruthless for Good Fund, an early-stage fund that invests in the most resilient, enterprising and often overlooked founders who are at the earliest stages of building companies that improve how we learn, work and live.

In his most recent company, Camelback Ventures, he founded an accelerator that has invested in over 180 founders, leading companies to subsequent funding rounds ($365M+) and profitable outcomes.

Aaron has a unique approach to impact investing, in part because of his passion for doing good and his vast experience in other industries.

“I don't know if there's a moment where I chose impact investing. I think it chose me,” notes Aaron. “I've tried to be open to different ways of expressing that impact as my career has gone on. And I think that's how it's taking me to teaching to law, philanthropy, government, and finally to impact investing.”

In this episode, Aaron discusses a number of challenges and opportunities in impact investing, including value-based startups, how commitment to values translates into identifying better opportunities faster, and how sustainability doesn’t have to be a trade-off for good business. Watch the replay below for all of his great insights 👇

The podcast is hosted by Wallet Max Founder & CEO Bhuva Shakti, and is for anyone interested in learning from investors and founders shaping thoughtful, practical solutions.

Want more than advice from investors? Check out our full podcast library, updated at the end of the month, every month.

Active Investors currently deploying Capital, such as Angels, VCs, PEs, Family Offices, Corporate Ventures, have one job: Identify the most profitable opportunities first. Any seasoned investor knows you have to have your ear to the ground.

That’s why diverse communities in your niche are critical.

Wallet Max’s Planet Positive Hub is ideal for investors seeking to grow their network with policy makers, founders, academics, nonprofits, and executives working in climate, technology, and finance.

Get involved with Emerald Summit (Sept 18, 2026) here: getwalletmax.com/summit

🎯 Discover all of our events, and how you can get involved with the virtual and in-person community initiatives: getwalletmax.com/events

Eight European startups set to receive scale-up funding

The Commission announced a new group of eight companies to receive €10 and €30 million investments to support them in the crucial scale-up phase to establish a market position. The investments are part of the EIC Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Scale Up call.  If negotiations are successful, 8 companies may receive a combined €146.5 million of equity investments (between €10 and €30 million per company).

Creao AI Lands $10 Million in Funding

Creao AI, a Palo Alto–based AI startup, has raised $10 million in funding, bringing its total capital to $25 million. Prosperity7 Ventures, a $3 billion diversified venture capital fund of Aramco Ventures, led as the key investor. The company will use the funding to expand its engineering team, deepen enterprise integrations, and scale agent-to-agent collaboration across its platform.

North America Q1 Funding Surges

U.S. and Canadian companies secured a staggering $252.6 billion in seed- through growth-stage funding rounds per Crunchbase data. That’s more than 3x the total raised in the prior quarter, and the largest quarterly total of all time. Most of the money went towards AI.

Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA), New York City – Program Manager

The Program Manager’s focus is the founder experience, ensuring every company in the cohort can take full advantage of what ERA offers. This is a high-ownership, execution-heavy role that runs with the energy and ethos of a startup. This is an in-person role in NYC and the salary range is $100K to $110K.

Liberty Mutual Investments – Senior Analyst, Impact Investing

Liberty Mutual Investments is searching for a senior analyst to support comprehensive diligence and developing recommendations on co-investment opportunities. This is a full-time position with a salary range of $100K to $185K.

General Atlantic – Vice President, Investor Relations

General Atlantic is seeking a Vice President to join our Investor Relations team in our New York office. This highly visible role will lead critical investor engagement initiatives, drive strategic communications, and serve as a key liaison with senior management. The base salary range is $225K to $325K and the employment package includes comprehensive benefits.

Discover more funding and hiring opportunities in our online member-only community.

There is sometimes a gap between what leaders say and what they believe. And that’s dangerous.

Boards would sign off on compliance models but dismiss them in practice. Executives would preach innovation but punish risk-takers. The consequence? Teams learned not to trust the words but the actions. Culture followed what was modeled, not what was written.

Leadership is not and cannot be performance. It is a reflection of what you truly believe. People can sense when your words and actions are misaligned. But before you model a value, you have to own it fully.

Learn more about how to model your beliefs and leverage authenticity to strengthen your leadership in the below set of downloadable risk lessons.

In my upcoming book on risk, Everyday Risk Wisdom: Your Risk Management Guide to Thrive in a Complex World as an Overlooked Business Leader, I cover a variety of lessons from my career.

In “You Cannot Model What You Do Not Believe” lesson from my book, I delve into how access is about outcomes.

Explore my book website below and get notified when this lesson is available for free!

How do your beliefs show up in your actions? We assume it happens automatically, but that’s not always the case, especially when we have external stressors at work directing us away from our values.

What step can you take today to reassess alignment?

Read the lesson for my “You Cannot Model What You Do Not Believe” action steps. Explore my book website below and get notified when this framework is available for free!

It’s clear that there’s a lot out there for investors and startups when it comes to making a difference. The best time to start is today.

Some steps are as easy as joining a community for adjusting investments for impact. Founders across industries that are building sustainable solutions can gain more support through our Fundraising Mastermind on May 20th (or) in joining our Pitch Competition on June 1st. Both events offer opportunities for networking, mentorship, and fundraising support. For investors, these are key events to identify good deals, and good jobs.

Just don’t forget the submission deadlines for both events are coming up quickly.

It takes a village to build a better world. And we’re grateful to have you as a part of our village at Wallet Max.

Thanks for supporting us to build a better world!

Bhuva Shakti, Founder of Wallet Max and Bhuva’s Impact Global.