Board training
unlock VC is proud to bring to you Board Training for VCs. This programme has been designed as a series of four workshops emphasising practical knowledge and actionable strategies. Designed with women in VC in mind, this programme will empower you to articulate and engage confidently in your roles as leaders and directors in VC companies. The workshops will help you navigate the crucial role of directors and boards in VC backed companies.
By attending this programme, directors, board observers, and investors looking to take on their first board seat will gain the confidence to navigate the boardroom effectively, fulfil their fiduciary duties, and contribute to the long-term success of their venture.
Participants are encouraged to come prepared to discuss their own board experiences and challenges.
Who is the course for?
Board directors
Board observers
VC investors looking to take on board positions
Angel investors / operators interested in independent board seats
When and where is the course?
The course will take place online in January & Febuary 2026 (full dates below)
How much does it cost?
Price: £1,600 + VAT
What are the benefits?
Unlock practical governance strategies for VC boards
Empower yourself as a confident leader and director in VC-backed companies
Master the art of strategic decision-making, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement
Develop organisational agility, resilience, and a winning culture with enhanced emotional intelligence
Gain an understanding of the legal obligations and liabilities associated with directorship of a private company
Join a cohort of like-minded investors and peers to share insights, learn from experiences and build a strong support network
Course outline
Timings are in GMT+1 and may be subject to change
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3-hour Online Workshop
________________________8:00 - 9:00 - Setting the Stage: The Landscape of VC Governance
Defining Board Responsibilities and Fiduciary Duty
Key Legal Considerations and Regulatory Framework
The VC cycle of investment and how to use governance frameworks as a differentiator for your companies
Case Study: Breach of Fiduciary Duty - Consequences and Lessons Learned
Group discussions and q+a
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9:00 - 9:15 - BREAK
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9:00 - 11:00 - Core Duties of Directors: A Deep Dive
Duty of Care: Ensuring informed decision-making & reasonable oversight
Duty of Loyalty: Mitigating Conflicts of Interest & Self-dealing
Identifying & Disclosing Conflicts
Recusal Practices & Transparency
Duty of Obedience: Acting in the Best Interests of the Company
Investor Alignment & Communication
Growth Strategy & Long-Term Value Creation
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3-hour Online Workshop
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8:00 - 8:15 - welcome, reflections and reprise of session 1
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8:15 - 9:30 - Building a High-Performing Board:
- Optimal Board Composition: Founders, VCs, Independent Directors
- Role of the Chair and Board Committees (Audit, Compensation, etc.)
- Effective Board Meetings: Structure, Agendas, Information Flow________________________
9:30 - 9:45 - BREAK
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9:45 - 11:00 - Setting Appropriate agenda’s, processes and systems:
- Strategy & Oversight: Approving major transactions, capital allocation
- Risk Management: setting the culture and lens
- CEO Performance Evaluation and Succession Planning
- Communication and Transparency: With investors, management, and other stakeholders
- Deadlock situations and dispute resolution -
3-hour Online Workshop
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8:00 - 8:15 - welcome, reflections and reprise of session 2
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8:15 - 8:30 - Identifying & Responding to Financial Distress
Early warning signs of insolvency in VC-backed companies
Understanding financial statements and key metrics
Roles & responsibilities of the board during financial distress
Restructuring & Workouts
________________________
8:30 - 8:45 - BREAK
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8:45 - 11:00 - Managing fraud and wider governance issues
Red flags of potential fraud in VC-backed companies
Board's oversight responsibilities in financial and wider reporting
Tools and resources for fraud detection and prevention
Strategies for managing wider governance risks
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3 hour Online workshop
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8:00 - 8:30 - Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for Board Members
The importance of EQ for effective board leadership
Building trust and fostering healthy communication within the board
Managing difficult conversations
How to recognise bias and strategic decision making
Frameworks for analysing complex business challenges
Tools for making data-driven decisions under uncertainty
Developing the right behaviour and culture
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8:30 - 8.45 - BREAK
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8.:45-10.30 - Strategic Decision Making in Uncertain Environments
Group board simulation exercise
Panel Q&A session with the guest speaker(s)
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10:30 - 11:00 -Wrap-Up & Action Planning
Recap and reflections of key takeaways
Janhavi Dadarkar
COURSE LEADERThe unlock VC programme will be facilitated by Janhavi Dadarkar who uniquely combines legal and academic rigour with an entrepreneurial practitioners pragmatism. Having started her career as a corporate media lawyer, she has worked on some of the largest M&A’s, entrepreneurial IPO’s, complex financing structures including for the Harry Potter and the Bond movies, and advising boards of well-known multinational companies as well as personalities from the sporting world to enterprising individuals looking to commercialise space travel.
As a governance geek who has a portfolio of clients from institutes, private equity and VC firms to entrepreneurial startups and not for profit enterprises , Janhavi now focusses on facilitating boards and directors become pragmatic leaders and create the right strategies with appropriate governance frameworks to enable sustainable growth.
She holds the accolade of being the first and youngest person of ethnic background (male or female) to have served on the IoD Board of Examiners and the fintech board. Being first though, she hopes, means others will follow. Her passion is to work with boards and aspiring board members to help them achieve sustainable success.