Our story

 Founded by GCs, for GCs

From humble beginnings

In 2013, Greg Raiten & Kiran Lingam each landed their first GC role. Although they didn't know each other yet, they both found themselves in the hot seat, with colleagues - up, down, left and right - looking to them for answers on an increasingly complex set of mission-critical questions they had never faced before. It wasn’t just difficult, it was isolating.

After more than a year of feeling imposter syndrome with no great resource to turn to, Greg & Kiran met on a business deal between their two companies. They were both in similar roles and struggling with similar problems. They swapped war stories and advice, and they quickly realized they weren’t alone.

A community blossoms

In early 2015, looking for further guidance and community, Greg & Kiran reached out to a handful of peer GCs they had met throughout the years. They set up their first event - a casual lunch in Bryant Park, NYC - and the response was overwhelming. Every person in attendance was facing the same obstacles and feeling the same pressures.

A tight-knit, organic community was born nearly overnight, and monthly gatherings in NYC quickly expanded to San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and beyond. By keeping the membership highly curated to trusted peers, everyone was eager to exchange ideas and open up about their most challenging professional issues. It was a safe space, one where you could bring your vulnerabilities and leave with actionable insights.

Supporting the ecosystem

That first community, called TechGC, was focused exclusively on GCs of high-growth tech companies and venture capital funds. As the founding members realized the power of what they had unlocked, they began asking for more communities - for their teams, for adjacent industries, for their public company peers, and so on.

Despite these frequent requests, Greg & Kiran took a measured and deliberate approach to expansion because they knew that the magic of the community was in its careful curation. They began launching a collection of bespoke legal communities, each carefully tailored for a particular type of in-house counsel. It didn't take long before The L Suite was born as the premier community for in-house legal executives across the ecosystem. 

It's great to be part of the community -- amazing breadth, content, and enthusiasm.

Stephanie Parr General Counsel Meritech Capital

Literally every GC friend of mine has given me the same first piece of advice -- Join and go to all the events you can.

Vivek Narayanadas VP, Deputy General Counsel and Data Protection Officer Maven Clinic

Greg and Kiran have brought together a group of top-notch GCs from diverse companies for relevant & cutting-edge presentations and discussion. It's been a pleasure seeing old colleagues and meeting new ones — this group is not to be missed!

Kristin Sverchek President and former GC Lyft (Former)

We’ve come a long way since those early days
...and yet we’re only just getting started.

Meet the team

The L Suite leadership

  • Kiran Lingam

    Position
    Co-Founder
    Kiran Lingam Co-Founder at The Suite

    In 2013, following passage and implementation of the JOBS Act in 2012, Kiran joined SeedInvest, a leading equity crowdfunding platform, as General Counsel, VP of Business development and employee #3. SeedInvest worked closely with the SEC and regulators to shape the industry and was among the first to complete 506(c), Reg A and equity crowdfunding transactions. The Company ultimately grew to a community of 100,000+ investors, raised capital for hundreds of startups and ultimately was acquired by Circle, a prominent digital asset company.

    As a senior executive at SeedInvest through its time of rapid growth, Kiran sought the support of a trusted community of executive peers. In 2015, Kiran met Greg Raiten, and together they launched TechGC.

    As the TechGC community grew, it became clear that there was a huge need from our members and, in 2017, Kiran decided to go all-in with the goal of building out the team and community platform to meet that need and deliver a big impact on our members’ careers, lives and companies.

    Today, TechGC continues to flourish as one of several L Suite communities. Now, Kiran and Greg are focused on leading the rapidly scaling team at The Suite to take The L Suite to the next level and build the future of executive peer communities.


  • Greg Raiten

    Position
    Co-Founder
    Greg Raiten, Co-Founder at The Suite

    Greg spent the first five years of his legal career as a corporate attorney in big law (Latham & Watkins and then Gunderson Dettmer). But his deep-seated passion for entrepreneurship — and a computer science degree from undergrad — quickly drew him into the high-growth world of startups and venture funds.

    In 2013, Greg took his first General Counsel role at 500 Startups, a well-known startup accelerator and seed-stage venture fund based in SF. He spent the next six years serving as GC and later COO, first at 500 Startups and then at FirstMark Capital, a prominent early-stage venture fund based in NYC.

    These high-impact, high-velocity leadership roles impressed upon Greg the vital need for a trusted community of peers. In 2015, Greg met Kiran Lingam, and together they launched TechGC. What started as a passion project quickly grew into a thriving global community with enormous potential, and Greg decided to pursue TechGC full-time a few years later.

    Today, TechGC continues to flourish as one of several L Suite communities. Now, Greg and Kiran are focused on leading the rapidly scaling team at The Suite as they take The L Suite to the next level and build out the future of executive peer communities across the C-Suite.

  • Anita Gavini

    Position
    Head of Events, The L Suite
    Anita Gavini Head of Events at The L Suite

    Anita’s career has seen her fine-tuning corporate supply chains, overseeing operations for not-for-profit organizations, and refining key processes as a management consultant.

    She’s a master at juggling the moving pieces, and she puts these skills to work daily as The Suite’s Head of Events. Her logistical expertise and operational know-how enable her to effectively curate the valuable and meaningful experiences that bring community members together.

    Anita is a passionate advocate for environmental justice, and a volunteer for the North South Foundation. She enjoys hiking and travel, and makes it a priority to go on at least one big trip a year.

  • Shaun Sethna

    Position
    General Counsel & General Manager of The L Suite
    Shaun Sethna General Counsel at The Suite

    With over a decade of experience as a senior legal executive at enterprise SaaS companies, and a DeputyGC member himself, Shaun was the perfect candidate to help lead The Suite through its next phase of growth.

    As a tech-focused generalist, engaged community-builder and passionate people leader, Shaun brings a wealth of legal expertise to his role as The Suite’s General Counsel and Head of People. In addition to serving as a growth-minded business partner on the legal side, Shaun leads The L Suite content team in delivering high-value programming at events.

    Shaun spends his free time chasing after his two young kids and writing on LinkedIn about life as a business leader, working parent and GC. He also volunteers for the Legal Mentor Network.

Are you a community builder?

Join our team

We are seeking insanely talented and highly-curious individuals who are passionate about building professional communities and the tools that empower them.

Careers
Large team posing on bridge over beach
The Suite Team Offsite in Cancun, January 2024