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

Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard (Slumberkins) - Creating stories to help teach children emotional learning, scaling organically and fundraising when you don't have a lead investor

Thank you Rick Desai for introducing me to today's guests Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard , founders of Slumberkins . Slumberkins is a leading children’s educational brand on a mission to promote early emotional learning through a combination of creatures and story telling. We're going to learn what they believe was missing in a child's development, how they scaled organically, and maybe the most creative way I've heard to successfully fundraise as well as lots of other amazing parts to thei...

Apr 22, 202144 min

Andrew Dudum (hims & hers) - The Future of Telehealth

My guest today is Andrew Dudum , founder of hims & hers . Hims and hers is a telehealth company that sells personal care products, subscriptions and and over-the-counter drugs online. We discuss our current healthcare system, what customer transparency really means, his fundraising strategy and what led him to take his company public via SPAC. One book that inspired Andrew is: Creativity Ink. by Ed Catmull Questions I ask Andrew: What attracted you to entrepreneurship? What was the insight o...

Apr 20, 202138 min

Eric Doty (Loupe) - Building the world's largest community of sports card collectors

Thank you Arie Abecassis for the introduction to our guest today Eric Doty , founder of Loupe . Loupe is a free app built for the modern sports card collector. We talk about box breaks, how he thinks about the sports card collecting market, solving the classic chicken or the egg, supply/demand trap early on and his approach to leadership. A couple of books that inspired Eric: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Factfulness by Hans Rosling Here are some of the questions I ask Eric: What was your ...

Apr 15, 202150 min

Monique Woodard (Cake Ventures) - The three layers of cake investment thesis, the future of work, and demographic changes that lead into opportunity

Thank you Samara Hernandez for the intro to our guest today, Monique Woodard . Monique is the founding Partner of Cake Ventures. Cake invests in companies that address the needs of a world undergoing massive demographic changes. We break down the three layers of Cake or themes that Monique focuses on, how she thinks about geography and future of work and her learnings as an operator and from 500 Startups. I highly recommend following Monique on Twitter @MoniqueWoodard . A book that inspired Moni...

Apr 13, 202139 min

Sara Deshpande (Maven) - Investing in companies building on top of Zoom and opportunities in Telehealth

My guest today is Sara Deshpande , Partner at Maven Ventures . Maven Ventures is a consumer focused micro-fund that focuses on investing in seed stage companies. Some of their investments include Zoom, Wild Type, Angellist and Nuggs. What I most enjoyed about this conversation was looking at what types of businesses were being built on top of Zoom and the opportunities in telehealth. Without further ado, here's Sara. You can catch her on Twitter @sara_desh . Three books that have inspired Sara: ...

Apr 08, 202141 min

Morgan Hirsh (Public Goods) - Finding simplicity while focusing on selling sustainable essentials

My guest today is Morgan Hirsh , CEO and founder of Public Goods . Public Goods is your one stop shop for healthy, sustainable, everyday essentials you can trust. This episode helps to demystify or understand what sustainability means or could mean for consumer products. I also loved learning about his approach to building Public Goods in multiple categories rather than just one category. In this episode we discuss: What led Morgan to leave Canada and come to New York City? Why he decided to sta...

Apr 06, 202127 min

Alexandra Fine (Dame Products) - Normalizing Sexual Wellness and Self Care Products

My guest today is Alex Fine , founder of Dame Products . Dame is the home of phenomenally fun toys for adults, that helps people to upgrade their self care with toys for sex. They were also named one of the most innovative wellness companies in 2020 by Fast Company. We touch on alot of areas in both sexual wellness and femtech that have been traditionally heavily stigmatized and her journey guiding Dame to amazing heights. Some of the questions I ask Alex Let's start at the beginning. What attra...

Apr 01, 202141 min

Aditi Dash and Joe Hovde (CircleUp) - Balancing data with founder-market fit when investing in consumer brands

My guests today are Aditi Dash and Joe Hovde from CircleUp . CircleUp Growth Partners is an early-stage consumer fund that takes a data-driven approach investing in compelling companies. Aditi is one of the investment partners and Joe is one of the data analysts. This is a fascinating conversation about building a data base for the private markets and using that data base as a tool to help make investment decisions and discover trends in CPG. Some of the questions I ask Aditi and Joe: Let's star...

Mar 29, 202133 min

Wendy Tsu & Susannah Shipton (AlleyCorp) - Going from idea to venture-scalable business

My guests today are Wendy Tsu who is a partner of new business ventures at AlleyCorp and Susannah Shipton , Head of Platform and investor at AlleyCorp . AlleyCorp was founded by Kevin Ryan and both founds and funds companies in New York. On this particular episode, we're going to focus more on the founding / incubation side of AlleyCorp, which I thought was truly fascinating. Some of the companies AlleyCorp founded was MongoDB, Zola, Business Insider, GILT and Nomad Health. Some of the questions...

Mar 25, 20211 hr 1 min

Leigh Radford (P&G Ventures) - What is Corporate Venture Capital, and the Advantages For Aspiring Brands

Thank you Elizabeth Edwards for introducing me to our guest today. Leigh Radford , the Senior Vice President, Founder & General Manager of P&G Ventures . We discuss what is corporate venture capital, how P&G partners with brands, and the advantages for aspiring brands. Without further ado, here's Leigh. Some of the questions I ask Leigh What was your initial attraction to consumer products? How did you end up working at P&G? Of course, when it comes to building brands, P&G ar...

Mar 23, 202125 min

Carey Smith (Unorthodox) - Scaling Big Ass Fans to $250 million and What It Means to be a Contrarian Investor

My guest today is Carey Smith . Carey is the founder of Big Ass Fans , which in less than two decades he took the company from 0 to $250 million in revenue, without the help of investors. Following the sale of Big Ass Fans, Carey started Unorthodox Ventures , where he partners with extraordinary founders, providing capital and expertise to build companies faster. Their portfolio includes Fit Joy, Go Fish and Lumun. This was a great conversation whre we chat about Carey's transition from a founde...

Mar 18, 202142 min

Helaine Knapp (CITYROW) - How Running Injuries Led Her To Start Boutique Rowing Fitness Gyms and Transforming The Studio Experience to At-Home

Thank you Katie Shea for introducing me to today's guest Helaine Knapp , founder and CEO of CITYROW . CITYROW is a boutique fitness studio which started in New York City that specializes in a total body, high-intensity, low-impact workout using a water-based rowing machine and strength-training exercises. They have since launched Cityrow go, taking the boutique rowing experience into your home with on demand classes. I highly recommend following her on twitter @HelaineKnapp A few books that insp...

Mar 16, 202134 min

Brandon Schwartz and Lawrence Cisneros (DRNXMYTH) - Creating World Class Cocktails, Partnering with Bartenders, and Creating a Marketplace Out of a Bottle

Thank you Carlton Fowler for the introduction to today's guests Brandon Schwartz and Lawrence Cisneros, co-founders of DRNXMYTH . DRNXMYTH Makes The Best Cocktails Ever Bottled. I have to say, these are amazing. I tried the product a few weeks ago and think what they are building with DRNXMYTH is very innovative and I hope you'll see that as well. We discuss their origin story of how they created this amazing bottle for cocktails, how their business is becoming a marketplace, how they think abou...

Mar 11, 202130 min

Kelsey Moreira (Doughp) - Leaving Tech to Start a Cookie Dough Company, Growth of Ecommerce During COVID, and Her Appearance on Shark Tank

Thank you Sumeet Shah for introducing me to our guest today Kelsey Moreira , founder and Co-CEO of Doughp . Doughp makes 100% raw cookie dough. As you probably can guess, we talk all things cookie dough as well as why Kelsey moved from Oakland to set up shop in Las Vegas, effects of COVID in her store and ecommerce, her mission and her experience on Shark Tank. And there you have it. It was wonderful chatting with Kelsey. I highly recommend following her @kelsey_moreira on Twitter. A book that i...

Mar 09, 202133 min

Mercedes Bent (Lightspeed) - The State of Series A, Future of EdTech, and Evolution of Investment Products

My guest today is Mercedes Bent , who is a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners and is on their consumer investing team. Lightspeed Venture Partners's mission is to serve the world’s most extraordinary people who are building tomorrow’s companies today. Some of her portfolio includes Forage, Stori Card, Outschool and Flockjay among other amazing companies. Mercedes is primarily focused on investing in edtech/future of work, fintech, and consumer products. We talk about how consumer businesses ...

Mar 04, 202140 min

Hugh Thomas (Ugly) - The Opportunity He Saw With Sparkling Water, Why He Started OmniChannel, and Approach to Overseas Expansion

Our guest today is Hugh Thomas , founder of Ugly . Ugly is the refreshingly honest sparkling water in a can. No sugar, no calories, no sodium, no sweetners. We discuss his background and how working at Vita Coco impacted him to found Ugly, why he went retail on day one, and his expansion strategy and why being in two markets is like running two different companies. You can follow Hugh at @uglyhugh on Twitter. A couple books that inspired Hugh are: The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday Give and...

Mar 02, 202141 min

Tyler Morgan (BFG Partners): How His Passion for Health & Wellness Led Him Into CPG, Changes During COVID, and The Evolution of BFG

My guest today is Tyler Morgan , Vice President at BFG Partners . BFG Partners invests in entrepreneurs that build exceptional businesses in the better-for-you food, beverage, and consumer products space. Some of their investments include Olipop, Quinn Snacks, and Bear Naked. I really enjoyed my time with Tyler where we discuss his due diligence process, effects of COVID within CPG and the evolution of BFG. Without further ado, here's Tyler. The Consumer VC Summit: February 23-25 Full Lineup and...

Feb 18, 202133 min

Deborah Benton (Willow Growth Partners) - The Need to Focus on Profitability from Day One, Why Raising Lots of Money Doesn't Mean Success, and Her Investment Philosophy at Willow Growth

Thank you Sunny Dhillon for the introduction to today's guest, Deborah Benton . Deb is the founder and general partner of Willow Growth Partners . Willow provides early growth capital to entrepreneurs building the next generation of transformative consumer brands and the disruptive technologies that power them. Prior to launching her fund, Deborah held many senior operational positions in companies like Nasty Gal, Shoe Dazzle and eToys. We discuss what investors don't get about investing in cons...

Feb 16, 202143 min

Brendan Rogers (Wag! and 2 a.m.) - Founding Wag!, Scaling by Doing Unscalable Things, and Investment Opportunities in India

My guest today is Brendan Rogers , one of the co-founders of Wag! and 2 a.m . Wag! is #1 app for pet parents and the leading on-demand dog walking platform. 2 a.m is a venture fund, investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs in India. We discuss the insight that led to the founding of Wag!, how they approached scale, and the opportunity he saw in India as an investor. The Consumer VC Summit: February 23-25 Full Lineup and to purchase tickets: Summit.theconsumervc.com Enter CONSUMERVC at c...

Feb 11, 202137 min

Amanda Groves (PLUS Capital) - The Power of Celebrity, The Most Unlikely Partnership, and Managing an Advisory Practice with a VC Fund

Thank you Sita for the intro to our guest today, Amanda Groves , one of the partners at PLUS Capital . PLUS Capital is an advisement and venture fund trusted by elite artists and athletes to invest in and build transformative companies. We talk about how to think about analyzing true value from celebrities to brands, what a successful partnership could like it and the most surprising partnership on paper she's come across. The Consumer VC Summit: February 23-25 Full Lineup and to purchase ticket...

Feb 09, 202135 min

Beatriz Acevedo (SUMA) - Why Personal Finance, How Content Can Build Community and Educate, and Creating Products Serving the Latinx Community

Thank you Samara Hernandez to our guest today, Beatriz Acevedo , CEO and co-founder of SUMA Wealth. SUMA is a revolutionary financial wellness company with the mission to engage, educate, and empower the Latinx community via a holistic approach of Digital Media, Experiences, and FinTech. Previously, Beatriz founded mitu, a digital media company that elevates and celebrates the voices of our multidimensional LatinX community. We discuss her approach to founding a fintech company, examples of crea...

Feb 04, 202159 min

Rick Desai (Listen) - What Makes a Compelling Brand, Why He Loves Patagonia, and His Approach to Investing in Consumer Products

Thank you Samara Hernandez for introducing me to our guest today, Rick Desai , one of the Partners at Listen . Listen is a consumer venture capital fund that backs and builds the brand of tomorrow. Some of their investments include Calm, Factor and Public Goods. Rick is also the founder of Dashfire, which invests in early stage entrepreneurs and provides near-term technical extension and long-term strategic guidance. We talk about opportunities he's seeing both in consumer products and consumer ...

Feb 02, 202145 min

Steven Wolfe Pereira (Encantos) - Teaching Kids 21st Century Skills, Building a Direct to Learner EdTech Company, and Overlooked Opportunities That Make Real Impact

Thank you Samara Hernandez for introducing me to today's guest, Steven Wolfe Pereira , co-founder and CEO of Encantos , an award-winning edtech company that believes kids learn best through play while teaching kids 21st century life skills. We discuss some of the learnings of working at technology companies and communication companies, the inspiration and insight behind Encantos and how he introduces new brands. Without further ado, here's Steven. You can follow Steven on Twitter @wolfepereira ....

Jan 28, 202137 min

Jeff Housenbold (Softbank) - Approach to Risk with $100B AUM, Identifying Markets That Are Ripe for Disruption, and Assessing Value Chains

My guest today is Jeff Housenbold , Managing Partner of Softbank's Vision Fund , the world's largest technology-focused venture capital fund, with over $100 billion in capital. Some of Jeff's investments are DoorDash, Compass, OpenDoor, and Whoop. Previously, Jeff was the CEO of Shutterfly. We discuss how he approaches investment themes, how he identifies opportunities on the value chain, and markets that are ripe for disruption. Without further ado, here's Jeff. Also, check out The Consumer VC ...

Jan 26, 202156 min

Michael Nogen (Overton VC) - Founding Theality Maternity Wear, Learnings Working at Gap and How He Thinks about Innovation

Thank you Joe Tonnos for the introduction to today's guest, Michael Nogen , one of the founding partners of Overton VC . Overton Venture Capital invests in early stage companies (Pre Series A) who demonstrate early success through revenue and market validation. Some of their portfolio includes Perch, Stantt and Joy Lux. Previously, he founded Theality, which became a national maternity apparel manufacturer and distributor carried by over 200 retailers and led global strategy at Gap and headed fi...

Jan 21, 202129 min

Andrew Goletka & Franklin Isacson (Coefficient Capital) - Behaviors that changed forever in 2020, Investing in CPG at the Series A, and when to go into retail

My guests today are Franklin Isacson & Andrew Goletka , Founders and Managing Partners of Coefficient Capital . Coefficient partners with entrepreneurs to build brands, tell stories and engage consumers across the digital and physical worlds, typically at the series A. Some of their investments include Magic Spoon, Hawthorne, Haus and Hydrant. We discuss how they think about omnichannel, insights learned from their consumer trends report that was produced in partnership with The New Consumer...

Jan 19, 202137 min

Lucy Deland (Inspired Capital) - Founding Paperless Post, How Design Became Critical To Software, and Why She's A Generalist Investor

My guest today is Lucy Deland , Partner at Inspired Capital , who back early-stage founders with transformative ideas, brilliant teams, and relentless determination. Some of her investments include Geneva, Habi and Dandy. A couple of books that inspired Lucy: Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. Here's some questions I ask Lucy: Since you went from investor to founder to investor, where it makes sense to start is what attracted you to focus your career on technology an...

Jan 14, 202138 min

Brian Requarth (Latitud + Viva Real) - Building an Online Real Estate Marketplace in Latin America, Raising Money Without a Network, and Solving Supply vs. Demand

Thank you Sasha Astafiva for the introduction to my guest today, Brian Requarth , co-founder and former CEO of Viva Real . Viva Real is the online real estate marketplace in Latin America. He is also the founder of Latitud , helping build the next generation of iconic tech startups in Latin America. You can follow Brian on Twitter @brianrequarth . You can also follow your host @mikegelb . A few books that inspired Brian: The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Klshimi The Hard Things About Hard Thi...

Jan 12, 202143 min

Sapna Shah (Red Giraffe) - Future of Retail, Drop Shipping, and Small World, Long Life

Thank you Joseph Sartre for the introduction to today's guest Sapna Shah , founder of Red Giraffe . Red Giraffe makes pre-seed investments in start-ups in the retail industry, including retail tech, marketplaces, brands and consumer sectors. Select current investments include: The Wing, FINDMINE, Robyn, and Swoonery. She's also the founder of Retail X Series, an ecosystem for retail startups in New York and around the US. We discuss what it was like founding a B2C and B2B companies, opportunitie...

Jan 07, 202145 min

Holiday Highlights: Ezra Galston, Founding Partner of Starting Line

This episode are highlights from my conversation with Ezra Galston. Ezra Galston, is the 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. Links: Click here to listen to my full conversation with Ezra Click here on Mobile to join our Community....

Jan 05, 202122 min
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