Turning High Stakes Into Supercharged Raises with Yifan Zhang

On our pilot episode of Raiser’s Edge, host Ben Elowitz sits down with Yifan Zhang—a powerhouse entrepreneur, managing director at the AI2 incubator, and expert fundraiser. Yifan shares her unique journey from launching viral fitness app Gympact straight out of Harvard to building Loftium, a proptech startup that weathered unbelievable storms—including losing 90% of its revenue in just four days when COVID hit. Against the odds, she pivoted the business, raised more capital, and ultimately led Loftium to a successful acquisition.Throughout the conversation, Yifan gets candid about her love-hate relationship with fundraising (even though she’s exceptional at it), why founders should confidently own their expertise, and why it’s critical to talk about failure, not fear it. She also opens her fundraising playbook, offering tactical advice on running fundraising sprints, picking the right investors, and the power of tracking VC styles for the best possible outcome.This episode is packed with practical gold and real talk. Plug in and join us for an inside look at what it really takes to survive—and thrive—on the edge.