FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cortado Ventures Becomes First VC Firm with Three Consecutive Kauffman Fellows
Firm-wide milestone reflects deep leadership bench and national recognition for Midcontinent innovation
OKLAHOMA CITY, July 8, 2025 — Cortado Ventures, a leading seed-stage venture capital firm based in Oklahoma City and dedicated to accelerating innovation in America’s Midcontinent, has made history as the first firm ever to have three partners selected for the prestigious Kauffman Fellows Program in three consecutive years. This milestone is a powerful moment for Cortado Ventures, a signal of Oklahoma’s growing innovation economy, and a testament to the Midcontinent’s emergence on the national stage as a place where top venture talent is cultivated and recognized.
The firm’s General Partner, Susan Moring, joins Class 30, following Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding (Class 28) and General Partner Mike Moradi (Class 29) — a rare achievement that highlights Cortado’s commitment to championing leadership and the broader Midcontinent region’s growing role in shaping the future of innovation. This milestone is made even more significant since the two-year program is one of the most selective in venture capital spanning 30 years, with a network of over 1,000 fellows from more than 840 firms worldwide focused on global network-building, executive education, and peer collaboration.
“Being the first firm to achieve this milestone is more than a record — it reflects the depth of leadership and excellence emerging from the Midcontinent,” Harding said. “We’ve long believed that world-class founders and investors are thriving beyond the coasts, and this honor affirms that belief. We have proven that when the opportunity arises, we not only show up, we deliver. Furthermore, this recognition underscores that the Midcontinent is not just participating in the future of venture capital—it is helping to shape it.”
Moring, who has been with Cortado Ventures since its founding in 2020, has an established track record of ecosystem-building and founder advocacy. Prior to joining the firm, she grew Oklahoma City’s first coding bootcamp, launched a social entrepreneurship fellowship, and worked on community entrepreneurship programs with organizations including Techstars and 1 Million Cups. She has also been recognized with the Rising Star Award by the National Venture Capital Association, and has completed Leadership Oklahoma City’s Signature Class 42.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join this distinguished community of investors and ecosystem leaders,” Moring said. “My journey in Oklahoma’s startup landscape has shown me the resilience and ingenuity of founders here, and the Kauffman Fellows Program will equip me with new perspectives and best practices to bring back to the Midcontinent.”
“Susan’s selection continues a remarkable run for Cortado,” Moradi said. “To have three of our leaders recognized in succession speaks volumes about the culture we’ve built and the future we’re creating for the Midcontinent, and for the world. We’re doing something special and unprecedented — and we love that it’s centered right here in Oklahoma.”
Moring joins 66 leaders from 20 countries across six continents as part of Kauffman Fellows Class 30. The cohort represents over $102 billion in combined assets under management, and 44% are women — highlighting the program’s role in shaping a more inclusive, forward-looking venture landscape.
Cortado Ventures was founded on the conviction that transformative founders and startups emerge from every geography, including regions often overlooked by traditional investors. Over the past five years, the firm has partnered with visionary entrepreneurs across sectors such as energy, mobility and logistics, and healthcare, deploying capital and hands-on support to help early-stage companies scale. To date, Cortado has evaluated more than 5,000 opportunities, invested in 46 portfolio companies, generated more than $1.7 billion in enterprise value from approximately $48 million deployed, with 77% of its portfolio companies having women, BIPOC or immigrant founders – metrics that underscore the effectiveness of its thesis-driven approach.
About Cortado Ventures
Founded by a team of seasoned CEOs and industry veterans in 2020, Cortado Ventures is a venture capital firm that’s working to define the Midcontinent’s success story for generations to come. Going beyond raising capital to support businesses – Cortado’s deep experience as leaders and innovators helps their portfolio companies accelerate their growth through strategic planning, training, and guidance. With focused efforts on entrepreneurs and startups who are founder-led by people with innovative, disruptive ideas in the energy, mobility and logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare technology sectors that are a natural fit for the Midcontinent region. Learn more at cortado.ventures.
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Anthony Triana, Saxum
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