Our guest is Elaine Russell , who co-leads Greycroft's Albertsons Fund. Greycroft is one of the premier full lifecycle investors, investing out of both their venture fund and growth fund. Greycroft's Albertsons fund is one of their sidecar funds that focuses on the future of retail. Previously, Elaine was a Partner at PLG Ventures and was the Co-founder / CEO of Little Key in Chicago, an on-demand marketplace for parents to discover and book kids classes and activities. A book that inspired Elai...
Oct 22, 2020•39 min
Our guest today is Yury Lifshits , founder and CEO of Openland . a modern social platform for communities. Yury is a serial entrepreunor, founding Zonaspace, Blended Labs and Entangled Solutions. On this episode we talk about Openland, how he thinks about the future of online social, how he thought about friction when downloading a new app, and pivots. You can follow Yury @yurylifshits on Twitter. You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can also follow for episode announc...
Oct 08, 2020•41 min
My guest today is Jordan Odinsky , investor and head of platform at Ground Up Ventures . GroupUp is an early stage venture capital firm investing in pre-seed and seed stage startups in the United States and Israel. Some of their investments include Fast, Shapeshift Gaming, and Neighborhood Goods. In this episode, we discuss cult brands and unique product launches. I highly recommend following Jordan on Twitter @jordanodinsky You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can als...
Sep 22, 2020•35 min
Our guest today is Wayne Wu , General Partner at VMG . VMG focuses on investing and building iconic consumer brands. They've invested in some incredible companies like Kind Healthy Foods, Justin's, Drunk Elephant, Health Warrior, Quest Nutrition. Disclaimer: This is the opinion of Wayne Wu, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions and thoughts of VMG Partners. Any opinions, projections, forecasts and estimates contained in this production are based on certain assumptions and may change with...
Sep 16, 2020•33 min
Thank you Soraya Darabi for the intro to our guest today Maya Horgan Famodu . Maya's the partner and founder of Ingressive Capital . Ingressive Capital is an early venture capital fund located in Nigeria and invests in founders and companies in sub-saharan Africa. Some of her investments include Paystack, AWA Bike, and Vesicash. I highly recommend following Maya on Twitter @mayahorgan . You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can also follow for episode announcements @con...
Sep 11, 2020•45 min
Our guest today is Nate Cooper , partner at Barrel Ventures . Barrel is seed stage fund based in the heart of the midwest. Some of their investments include Haus, Olipop and Clove. Previously, Nate founded L3 Hospitality Group and Wise Apple. If you want to keep up to date on him, follow him on Twitter @Nrcoope . You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can also follow for episode announcements @consumervc . Excited to announce The Consumer VC Summit: October 13-15. It wil...
Sep 09, 2020•26 min
Thank you Soraya Darabi for the intro to today's guest Sarah Kunst , managing director of Cleo Capital . Cleo Capital is an an early stage VC fund focused on the preseed & seed stages. Some of their investments include 42 Birds, Athena and Lovewellness. She's also a contributing editor at Marie Claire Magazine and previously served as a senior advisor to Bumble. A couple of book that Sarah recommends is Attached by Amir Levine and Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Click here to sign up for Lunc...
Sep 03, 2020•40 min
Our guest today is Sunny Dhillon , one of the Managing Director of Signia Ventures . Signia invests at the seed & series A stages in great entrepreneurs that are applying new technologies and innovative business models to old industries. Sunny's investments include Manscaped, Boxed, and MomentFeed. Previously Sunny cofounded Barstool, one of the first dating apps in the App store. Feel free to follow Sunny on Twitter @sundhillon . You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . Y...
Sep 01, 2020•34 min
Our guest today is Hilary Quartner , one of the founders and Co-CEOs of Hilma . Hilma creates natural remedies for your medicine cabinet that are backed by science. Previously Hilary worked at The Wonderful Company, FIJI Water and was part of the founding team at Jet Black. You can Hilary on Instagram @hilarykquartner and Hilma @hilma_co . You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can also follow for episode announcements @consumervc . A book that inspired her professionall...
Aug 27, 2020•21 min
Thank you Fernando Gentil for the introduction to today's guest, Alix Peabody , CEO and founder of Bev . Bev is a wine company that is breaking down barriers in the heavily male dominated alcohol space. Feel free to follow Alix on Instagram and Bev @alixpeabody and @drinkbev . You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can also follow for episode announcements @consumervc . One book that inspired Alix personally is The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom b...
Aug 25, 2020•31 min
This episode is part of a live recording Office Hour / AMA with David Goldberg. David Goldberg is a General Partner at Corigin Ventures . Corigin Ventures is a New York based venture capital firm leading seed stage investments in the founders defining the future of daily living. Some of their investments include Perch Interactive, The Inside, Classpass and Imperfect Foods. If you enjoy this episode, check out David's proper podcast episode #35. You can follow David on Twitter @davidrgoldberg . I...
Aug 24, 2020•18 min
I'd like to thank Adelle Archer for introducing me to today's guest, Jiake Lu , CEO of Outer . Outer is an extraordinary company that is reengineering outdoor furniture. Business Insider named them the #1 fastest growing DTC brands. I chat with Jiake about how he went from founding a B2B business to B2C, his really unique showroom strategy. And there you have it, lots of fun chatting with Jiake about outdoor furniture. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @jiakeliu . You can also follow your host,...
Aug 20, 2020•54 min
Our guest today is Dan Gluck , Managing Partner of Powerplant Ventures a growth equity fund investing in emerging consumer food, beverage, and foodservice companies leading disruptive plant-centric brands. Some of their investments include Beyond Meat, Thrive Market, and Veggie Grill. Previously, Dan co-founded Health Warrior, which was acquired by PepsiCo in 2018. This was fantastic conversation and Dan discusses what attracted him to investing at young age, his insight that led him to founding...
Aug 18, 2020•50 min
Our guest today is Alex Levitt , one of the heads of Yellow . Yellow is Snap Inc. 's ecosystem to serve companies at the intersection of creativity and technology with its Accelerator Program, Collabs Program, and Community Programming. Yellow is currently accepting applications through Sunday, August 23rd for its inaugural Collabs Program. If you're interested in integrating your product into the Snap Platform through Snap Minis, Snap Kit Dynamic Lenses, Scan, SnapML or more, visit YellowLA.com...
Aug 13, 2020•34 min
Thank you Will McClelland for the introduction to today's guests Betsy Fore and Sofia Laurell , the co-founders and co-CEOs of Tiny Organics . Tiny Organics delivers organic, fresh, nutrient-rich baby and toddler meals created by their Infant Nutritionist. Their goal is to help every parent feed their baby and toddler the healthiest food. Previously, Betsy worked and created product lines for Mattel, Hasbro and MindCandy (Moshi Monsters). She was also the Founder and CEO of Wondermento, creators...
Aug 11, 2020•27 min
Thank you Joe Tonnos for the introduction to today's guest, Mitch Hayes, founder and CEO of Los Sundays Tequila. Los Sundays is the tequila for the millennial and founded on the principles of Quality, Originality and Style. One book that inspired Mitch personally is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho . One book that inspired him professionally is Damn Good Advice by George Lois. You can follow Los Sundays on Instagram @los_sundays . You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can ...
Aug 06, 2020•33 min
Our guest today is Sasha Astafyeva , Partner at Atomico . Atomico invests in Europe’s most ambitious tech founders at Series A and beyond. Some of their investments include Farmdrop, Habito, and teatime games. Sasha leads new investments in consumer. Previously, she was a Principal at Felix Capital and VP of Finance and Business Intelligence at VivaReal. A couple of books that inspired Sasha personally and professionally are The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy and Why Be Happy When You Could Be N...
Aug 04, 2020•41 min
Our guest today is Nick Mindel , Partner at Amberstone . Amberstone invests at the early stages in entrepreneurs building breakthrough consumer companies. Some of their investments include Daily Harvest, Juneshine, Bev and Honey Mama's. Previously, Nick worked at Piper Sandler and a co-founder of Trail Post Ventures. Thank you Justin Gordon for the introduction! A book that he recommends that inspired him personally is A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean. A book that inspired him professio...
Jul 30, 2020•40 min
Our guest today is Ezra Galston , Founding partner of Starting Line , a seed stage consumer tech focused fund based in Chicago. Previously he was a Principal at Chicago Ventures. Some of his investments include Cameo, Flyhomes, and Spothero. One book that inspired Ezra personally is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. One book that inspired him professionally is Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. I highly recommend following Ezra on Twitter @EzraMoGee . You...
Jul 28, 2020•38 min
Thank you Jordan Nof for introducing me to today's guest Coulter Lewis, founder and CEO of Sunday . Sunday provides nutrient and soil health plans for garden and lawn care. Previously, Coulter founded Quinn Snacks, the successful farm to bag snack company. But in this episode we focus on Sunday and lawn care. We talk about pesticides, why lawn care is an overlooked massive category, and Coulter's journey as a successful serial entrepreneur. One of Coulter's favorite books is Traction by Gino Wic...
Jul 23, 2020•26 min
Our guest today is Adam Cohen-Aslatei, founder and CEO of dating app S'More , the dating app that is built for relationships. Adam has had an extensive career working in the online dating industry and the advertising world. He walks us through why S'More is different, how he thinks about bringing inclusivity to online dating and how he successfully fundraised. You can check out S'more here and follow them on Instagram here . A few books that inspired Adam personally are Freakonomics by Steven Le...
Jul 21, 2020•30 min
Our guest today is Jesse Draper , Founding Partner of Halogen Ventures . Halogen Ventures is a Los Angeles, California based Venture Capital fund focused on investing in early stage consumer technology startups with a female in the founding team. Some of their investments include Hop Skip Drive, Clover Letter, and Binti. Previously, Jesse was an actress and founded/hosted The Valley Girl Show, where she interviewed some of the biggest names in business, entertainment, government, and technology....
Jul 16, 2020•40 min
Our guest today is Soraya Darabi , General Partner at Trail Mix Ventures where she focuses on the future of living well. Previously, she worked at the New York Times, co-founded Foodspotting (acq. by OpenTable) and Zady. Some of her investments include Classtag, The Wing, and Alleyoop. Lots of insights on this episode as Soraya shares her amazing experiences both as a founder and investor, so without further ado, here's Soraya. And there you have it. It was really great chatting with Soraya, I h...
Jul 14, 2020•46 min
Thank you Sumeet Shah for the introduction to today's guest, Meera Clark , Senior Associate at Obvious Ventures. Obvious Ventures invests in startups that combine profit and purpose for a better world. Some of their investments include Beyond Meat, Carezone, Goodeggs and Medium. I highly recommend following Meera on twitter @itsmeeraclark . You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb . You can also follow for episode announcements @consumervc . A book that inspired Meera is Setting...
Jul 09, 2020•34 min
I would like to thank Adelle Archer for introducing me to today's guest, Eric Paley , who is one of the Managing Partners at Founder Collective . Founder Collective's mission is to be the most aligned VC for founders at seed. Eric is a pretty legendary seed stage investor, some of his investments include Uber, CoverWallet, Seat Geek, Whoop, Thred Up and so many other incredible companies. One book that inspired Eric is Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. You can follow Eric on Twitter...
Jul 07, 2020•49 min
*Please note Office Hour episodes are not edited and the sound quality will not be as good as other episodes as they are recorded on one track.* Office Hours are opportunities for listeners to ask past guests questions themselves. We will be releasing the recorded versions each Saturday. This Office Hour with Jason Shuman was recorded live on June 9th. Jason Shuman is a Principal at Primary Ventures , a seed-stage venture capital firm responsible for backing NYC’s most promising founders. Some o...
Jul 04, 2020•17 min
Our guest today is Alex French, founder and CEO of Bizzy Coffee , the #1 seller of cold brew coffee on Amazon. We discuss Alex's initial approach to entrepreneurship, how they've been able to maintain #1 Best Seller on Amazon, how he approached fundraising and was able to raise, and COVID's effects on Bizzy. Without further ado, here's Alex A couple books that inspired Alex are The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris and How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Here are some of the qu...
Jul 02, 2020•1 hr 38 min
Thank you Alex Pattis for the introduction to today's guest Pippa Lamb who is a partner at Sweet Capital . Sweet Capital in an early stage investment fund built by the founders of King.com (Candy Crush), following their sale to Activision Blizzard in 2015. Pippa focuses on early stage consumer technology investments ranging from software and next generation social communities to fintech. This is was fun and fascinating conversation as we talked about gamification in social, why she splits her ti...
Jun 30, 2020•38 min
This is a compilation episode about fundraising from the founders perspective. Some of their tactics, strategies when evaluating investors and how they reached out to investors. The founders featured are Kate Boyle , who is the founder of Banjo Robinson, Nadine Habayeb from Bohana, Adelle Archer from Eterneva, George Milton from Yellowbird Sauce, an amazing hot sauce company, and Jessica Rolph and Rod Morris , co-founders of Lovevery....
Jun 25, 2020•32 min
I'd like to thank Adelle Archer for introducing me to today's guest Dan Graham , one of the co-founders and General partners of Springdale Ventures . Some of their investments include Eterneva, Literati, and Beatbox beverages. Previously, Dan co-founded BuildASign.com in 2005 and grew it to an over $100 million dollar CPG, Ecommerce business that was purchased by Cimpress (VistaPrint) in 2018 for $280M. This episode we talk all things Austin and CPG - the opportunity he saw to form Spingdale, wh...
Jun 22, 2020•48 min