Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands - podcast cover

Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands

Mike Gelbredcircle.com

Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place.


Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription.


Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch.


This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled.


For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.

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Episodes

Elaine Russell (Greycroft) - The Future of Retail, How to Choose a Co-Founder, and Running a Single LP Fund

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, 202039 min

Yury Lifshits (Openland) - How to Build a Community, The Hard Pivot, and Minimizing Friction

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, 202041 min

Bonus: Jordan Odinsky (Ground Up) - Cult Brands, Launch Strategies and the Importance of Celebrating The Failures

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, 202035 min

Wayne Wu (VMG) – His Ecosystem Approach, How He Builds Community In CPG, and Advice for Founders Located in Secondary Markets

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, 202033 min

Maya Horgan Famodu (Ingressive Capital) - Investing in Sub-Saharan Africa, What She Looks For When Entering New Countries, How to Build Startup Ecosystems in Frontier Markets

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, 202045 min

Nate Cooper (Barrel Ventures): Lessons Learned from Founding Two Companies, The Beauty of Chicago and Investing in Markets that are Overlooked

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, 202026 min

Sarah Kunst (Cleo Capital) - The Future of Work, Complicated Consumer and How to Have a Diverse Portfolio

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, 202040 min

Sunny Dhillon (Signia Partners) - Grocery Store Technology, Why Beauty Brands Are Great To Invest In, and Changes in Retail

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, 202034 min

Hilary Quartner (Hilma) - Creating The "Clinical Herbal" Category, Her Fundraising Strategy, and The Decision Making Process with Two CEOs

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, 202021 min

Alix Peabody (Bev) - From Producing Events to Founding a Wine Company, The Challenges When Raising Capital, and How She Thinks About Opportunities

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, 202031 min

Office Hour 2. David Goldberg (Corigin Ventures)

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, 202018 min

Jiake Liu (Outer) - How Outer Became The Fastest Growing DNVB In The US, His Approach to Showrooms, and Why You Can't Rely On "Build It and They Will Come"

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, 202054 min

Dan Gluck (Powerplant) - The Opportunity He Saw After Reading "Born To Run" and His Inspiration Behind Investing in Plant Based Products

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, 202050 min

Alex Levitt (Yellow) - Inside Snap Inc.'s Launchpad for Startups, Building Products On Top of Social Platforms, and Her Diligence Process

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, 202034 min

Betsy Fore and Sofia Laurell (Tiny Organics) - Delivering The Healthiest Food to Babies, Approaching a Co-CEO Partnership, and Their Unique Way of Approaching Organic Growth

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, 202027 min

Mitch Hayes (Los Sundays) - Building a Tequila Brand for the Millennial, Focusing on Generating Demand, and a Taste of the Beverage Industry

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, 202033 min

Sasha Astafyeva (Atomico) - Growing a Real Estate Tech Company in Brazil, Series A Consumer Landscape in Europe, and How She Thinks About International Expansion

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, 202041 min

Nick Mindel (Amberstone) - Differences Between Trends and Fads, The Opportunity He Saw Investing In Consumer Brands, Why He's Bullish On Founders Located In Secondary Markets

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, 202040 min

Ezra Galston (Starting Line) - Benefits of Chicago, Managed vs. Lightly Managed Marketplaces, and Consumer for the 99%

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, 202038 min

Coulter Lewis (Sunday) - Introducing D2C & Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care, and Lessons From a Serial Entrepreneur

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, 202026 min

Adam Cohen-Aslatei (S'more) - Bringing Inclusivity and Honesty to Online Dating, and How He Successfully Fundraised

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, 202030 min

Jesse Draper (Halogen) - Why Investing In Female Led Businesses is Such a Massive Opportunity, Los Angeles Consumer Tech Scene, and Consuming Meaningful Content

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, 202040 min

Soraya Darabi (TMV) - The Care Economy, Where Change Needs to Start In VC, and How to Approach Market Sizing

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, 202046 min

Meera Clark (Obvious Ventures) - How COVID led to a Crossroads in Healthy Habits, Milestones at Series A, and How She Thinks About Sustainability and Consumer Centric

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, 202034 min

Eric Paley (Founder Collective) - Why Most Successful Companies Struggle To Convince VCs of Their Market Size, The Biggest Risk After Finding Product-Market Fit, and Why Pro-Rata Only Benefits Investors, Not Founders

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, 202049 min

Office Hour 1. Jason Shuman (Primary Ventures) - Recorded Live June 9th

*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, 202017 min

Alex French (Bizzy Coffee) - The Cold Brew Competitive Landscape, Becoming #1 on Amazon, and Some of The Differences Raising from VCs and Family Offices

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, 20201 hr 38 min

Pippa Lamb (Sweet Capital) - Why Consumer Habits Developed During COVID Are Here To Stay, 99% Execution & 1% Vision, and Defining A Founder's Unfair Advantage

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, 202038 min

Compilation: Fundraising from the Founder Perspective

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, 202032 min

Dan Graham (Springdale Ventures) - How He Scaled buildasign.com to over $100 million, The Opportunity He Saw Investing in CPG in Austin, and the Differences Analyzing DTC and Retail Brands

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, 202048 min
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