In 2024, venture investor Shila Nieves Burney said a pledge link shared in a Slack group grew into a recruiting effort for VCs supporting Kamala Harris. GamesBeat’s headline reported more than 1,000 signatories representing over $276 billion in assets under management, while Burney gave a different count—803—in her final answer about sign-ups. The two figures appear in the same interview and should not be treated as a reconciled or audited tally.
How the VC pledge effort began
In a GamesBeat interview published August 21, 2024, Burney described the effort as starting when fellow investor Leslie Feinzaig shared a pledge link in a Slack group associated with Transact Global. Burney said she helped spread it by contacting people in her network and sending direct messages. Mark Cuban’s participation also helped persuade others, according to Burney.
That account describes a networked recruitment effort rather than a formal count of the venture industry’s political preferences. GamesBeat reported the headline figure of “more than 1,000 venture capitalists representing more than $276 billion in assets under management.” The interview’s final response to a question about sign-up numbers has Burney saying 803 had signed on. The article does not explain the difference, so neither number should be silently substituted for the other. GamesBeat’s figures are reported claims; the pledge roster and AUM were not independently audited in the available account. Read the GamesBeat interview.
Why Burney said she supported Harris
Burney presented her endorsement as a matter of both political values and business conditions. She said, “The future of our democracy is at stake, and equality is under attack, which undermines our professional values and threatens the social fabric of our country.” These are Burney’s stated reasons for supporting Harris, not neutral findings about either candidate.
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Feinzaig, whom GamesBeat identified as a co-organizer, expressed a related argument: “A robust and equitable democracy is good for business.” The comments connected the organizers’ political position to their view of how democracy, equality, technology, and opportunity affect business.
Burney’s venture-fund context
The interview also placed Burney’s work in the context of her investing career. She described Zane’s first fund as “a proof of concept, a bit under $3 million,” said it had invested in nine companies, and said she was targeting $30 million for a new fund. These are statements from the 2024 interview, not confirmation of the fund’s current size, portfolio, or status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened after the 2024 campaign
The pledge was an endorsement effort during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign; it should not be read as a current campaign or current political status. The National Archives’ official Electoral College record lists Donald J. Trump as the winner with 312 electoral votes and Kamala D. Harris with 226. See the National Archives’ 2024 Electoral College results.
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