Philip Edmundson, founder of Corvus Insurance (recently acquired by Travelers), shares the captivating journey of Corvus, from its inception to its recent acquisition. He discusses the company's unique approach to cyber risk and its mission to revolutionize commercial insurance with advanced data science and an AI-driven approach. Philip also discusses opportunities for innovation in insurance, and gives insights into crucial startup matters such as early team building and selecting the right in...
Apr 02, 2024•40 min•Ep. 138
Tommy Leep, founding partner at Jetstream, shares insights on climate tech investing and nurturing startups for a sustainable future. He delves into climate tech trends, opportunities for startups, and challenges that early-stage investors face (such as greenwashing). Tommy also advises founders on articulating their vision, avoiding the "founders' curse of knowledge" and the importance of sales skills. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 2:05 ] Startups attract people who love to be part of disrup...
Mar 19, 2024•27 min•Ep. 137
Eric Sippel of Sippel Farb Family Office delves into the intricacies of investing in emerging managers. Eric outlines his meticulous emerging manager selection criteria, emphasizing his preference for specialists over generalists. He highlights key challenges of identifying good VCs as a Limited Partner (LP), and offers insights into the shifting venture capital landscape. In addition, he discusses the importance of supporting underrepresented venture capitalists for enhanced portfolio returns. ...
Mar 05, 2024•34 min•Ep. 136
Aakar Vachhani, Managing Partner at Fairview Capital Partners, explores the crucial role of limited partners (LPs) in the venture capital ecosystem. He delves into the distinctive characteristics of venture capital as an asset class and sheds light on Fairview's role as a fund of funds, culture, investment strategy, areas of focus, and bullish stance on emerging managers. Additionally, he shares insights on trending topics that could influence the future of the venture capital industry. In this ...
Feb 06, 2024•36 min•Ep. 135
Lorenzo Thione, Managing Director at Gaingels, shares his journey from Italy to the U.S. and the pivotal life event inspiring his advocacy for inclusive venture capital representation. He delves into Gaingels' investment philosophy, emphasizing its focus on supporting diverse founders and investors. Lorenzo also offers insights for today's founders, spotlighting game-changing technologies like artificial intelligence. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 3:50 ] Underrepresented communities of founde...
Jan 23, 2024•36 min•Ep. 134
Anne Dwane, a Partner at Village Global, shares her commitment to supporting amazing entrepreneurs working on big ideas. Leveraging her background as an entrepreneur-turned-investor, Anne underscores the significance of establishing networks early and explores the feasibility of launching a company during economic downturns. Moreover, she sheds light on the dynamic role of venture capitalists, particularly within a VC industry confronted by distinctive challenges. In this episode, you’ll learn: ...
Jan 09, 2024•29 min•Ep. 133
Patrick Mork, founder and CEO of LEAP, shares his career journey and underscores the pivotal role of coaching in nurturing founder success. Drawing from his extensive leadership and coaching experience, Patrick imparts valuable advice to founders and leaders, addressing the intricacies of entrepreneurship and leadership. Topics covered include professional development, navigating career maneuvers, building a purpose-driven business, and prioritizing company culture. He also offers insights on fi...
Dec 19, 2023•37 min•Ep. 132
Justin Dyer, Chief Investment Officer at AWM Capital, shares insights into AWM's venture strategies and human-centered approach to athlete wealth management. He talks about the critical role of networks in VC and gives useful tips for choosing the right limited partner. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 6:13 ] AWM Capital's human-centered approach to athlete wealth management [ 9:14 ] Venture capital's role in family office asset allocation [ 16:15 ] The pivotal role of networks in venture capita...
Dec 05, 2023•32 min•Ep. 131
Steve Pretre, partner at World Innovation Lab (WiL), takes us on an extraordinary journey from his upbringing in Silicon Valley to becoming a key player in the insurtech and venture capital worlds. He shares the thrilling journey of starting Metromile and leading it through the IPO stage, highlighting some of the biggest challenges of starting an insurtech startup. Steve also dispels the skepticism about corporate venture capital firms (CVCs). In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 3:47 ] Discover inv...
Nov 21, 2023•35 min•Ep. 130
Miles Dieffenbach, Director of Investments at Carnegie Mellon University Endowment, offers valuable insights, personal anecdotes, and perspectives on the fundamentals of venture capital. He covers topics such as GP commit, navigating the denominator effect, and the broader economic trends that impact the venture capital industry. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 4:51 ] How venture capital drives innovation and the crucial role of limited partners (LPs) in this process [ 14:25 ] Factors LPs consi...
Nov 07, 2023•39 min•Ep. 129
Aram Verdiyan, Partner at Accolade Partners, offers a comprehensive exploration of the LP landscape and the strategies that drive success in the world of venture capital. Aram emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with VCs and sheds light on how general partners (GPs) think. He also discusses his views on returns generation, comparing concentrated and diversified investments. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 4:07 ] Accolade’s contrarian portfolio building: leading with conce...
Oct 24, 2023•39 min•Ep. 128
Theresa Blissing, founder of Accelerating Insurance and the Asia InsurTech Podcast, delves into the transformative potential of emerging technologies in the insurance sector. She offers valuable insights for founders aiming for success in the insurance industry, irrespective of their operational geography. Additionally, she sheds light on noteworthy trends, opportunities, and challenges facing insurtech startups, with a particular focus on the dynamic landscape in Asia. In this episode, you’ll l...
Oct 10, 2023•25 min•Ep. 127
Chris Douvos, founder of Ahoy Capital, discusses venture capital investing as a limited partner (LP). He explores how venture capital fits in an investor's portfolio, shares his investment philosophy, and reveals how he identifies nonconformist VC investors, especially emerging managers. Chris also reflects on recent VC landscape changes and offers insights to better the industry's future and its potential impact. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 2:28 ] Pre-2005 venture capital: An enigma master...
Sep 26, 2023•31 min•Ep. 126
Priya Ramachandran, founder and managing partner at Foster Ventures, recounts her remarkable odyssey from the tech world in India to her venture capital journey in the heart of Silicon Valley. She candidly discusses her evolution as a VC, starting as an angel investor, and passionately elaborates on the core values and principles that underpin the foundation of Foster Ventures. Priya also expresses her enthusiasm for the imminent surge of innovation poised to emerge from the dynamic cross-border...
Sep 12, 2023•32 min•Ep. 125
Eric Ver Ploeg, founding partner of Tunitas Ventures, talks about how his seed-stage venture firm is helping entrepreneurs raise the best possible Series A. He shares his inspiring career journey into venture capital and expounds on the three key things he looks for in a potential investment. Additionally, he offers insights into the transformative shifts within the venture capital landscape, shedding light on the evolution of his personal viewpoints. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 3:24 ] One ...
Aug 29, 2023•27 min•Ep. 124
Scott Barclay, Managing Director at Insight Partners, delves into the potential of software to revolutionize healthcare's flawed systems. He explores the dynamics of VC firms operating across various stages in the ecosystem, weighing the pros and cons of seed-stage investments for larger firms. Additionally, Scott shares insights on why now is an opportune time to embark on AI endeavors. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 3:47 ] What approaches is Insight Partners employing to establish the most s...
Aug 15, 2023•33 min•Ep. 123
Oren Zeev, Founding Partner at Zeev Ventures, shares his one-man VC experience, and lessons from investing in so many successful companies. Oren reveals the secrets behind his renowned Silicon Valley builder-investor approach. He also gives his perspectives on the dynamic role of a VC in supporting founders, as well as his thoughts on trends shaping the venture capital industry. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 4:20 ] The essence of being a VC lies not in having strong opinions, but in serving a...
Aug 01, 2023•29 min•Ep. 122
David York, a founder and managing director of Top Tier Capital Partners, provides invaluable insights into the intricacies of fund of funds (FOF). Delving into the dynamic nature of FOFs within the venture capital ecosystem, he sheds light on three distinct methods of investing in venture capital. Furthermore, David offers a comprehensive overview of his meticulous evaluation process for VC firms, highlighting the formidable challenges that investors encounter when selecting the most promising ...
Jul 18, 2023•37 min•Ep. 121
Ruth Foxe Blader, a Partner at Anthemis Group, discusses her international focus on investing in FinTech and InsurTech startups. She emphasizes the need for investors to see beyond founders' storytelling and communication skills, and instead evaluate their potential to execute their mission. Ruth also highlights emerging generative AI trends and her outlook on the future of financial services. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 4:13 ] Venture capital is a game of exceptions and contrarian thinking...
Jul 04, 2023•29 min•Ep. 120
Charles Moldow, a general partner at Foundation Capital, shares his remarkable journey from being a Wall Street analyst to becoming an entrepreneur and eventually transitioning into his current role as an investor over two decades ago. His captivating anecdotes leave you eager for more, whether he's recounting stories about his father's wisdom on the internet or recalling a memorable encounter with an exceptional entrepreneur. Charles also delves into the exciting market trends within insurtech ...
Jun 20, 2023•31 min•Ep. 119
Munjal Shah, the co-founder and CEO of Hippocratic AI, highlights how a personal health event propelled him into the healthcare industry. He elucidates the potential of AI technologies to offer intelligent, secure, and cost-effective solutions for the significant challenges encountered by traditional industries. Furthermore, Munjal delves into the pivotal role that startups play in shaping the future of AI. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 6:38 ] AI - a net good or a net bad? [ 10:25 ] Challenge...
Jun 06, 2023•34 min•Ep. 118
David Gritz, co-founder and managing director at InsurTech New York, and Bryan Falchuk, founder and managing partner at Insurance Evolution Partners, discuss the dynamic roles of different players in the insurance ecosystem. David and Bryan also give useful tips for founders to effectively manage the landscape and be successful. In this episode, you’ll learn: 4:32 Are insurtech startups effectively paying the insurance industry’s huge technology debt? 9:50 Why there shouldn’t be a divide between...
May 23, 2023•34 min•Ep. 117
Tanvi Narain, an investor at Counterpart Ventures, shares her venture capital journey and the insights gained from her first investment. She offers advice on how to prepare for entry into the VC realm and provides a new perspective on the industry. Additionally, she discusses the role of women in corporate venture capital. In this episode, you’ll learn: 2:35 Significant stepping stones that helped Tanvi transition from being an operator to a venture capitalist 6:37 As an investor, you’re helping...
May 09, 2023•26 min•Ep. 116
Fernando Pontaza, co-founder and managing general partner at Invariantes Fund, recounts the inception of Invariantes, Guatemala's first early-stage venture capital fund. He offers insights into the growth of the Latin American VC market and shares his experiences as a multi-asset class portfolio manager. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 2:11 ] Insights from pioneering Guatemala’s first venture capital fund [ 7:08 ] Investing in both venture fund investments and startup investments: the Invariant...
Apr 25, 2023•25 min•Ep. 115
Adrian Fenty, managing general partner at MaC Venture Capital, discusses his journey from being D.C. mayor to becoming a venture capitalist. He highlights the similarities between politics and venture capital and shares insights on MaC's unique approach to investment opportunities. In this episode, you’ll learn: 2:01 Lessons about business from a former politician 10:39 Why ‘hire great people’ is universal advice across industries 15:09 Networks are unbeatable when it comes to looking for amazin...
Apr 11, 2023•29 min•Ep. 114
Alex Edelson, founder and general partner at Slipstream Investors, shares his journey as a limited partner and recounts the genesis of Slipstream. He talks about the importance of evaluating VCs based on their portfolio construction, unique strengths, and feedback from founders, and highlights lessons from common mistakes emerging managers do. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 6:32 ] 3 key characteristics of emerging managers that LPs compete for [ 10:56 ] What the best LPs do to remain top of mi...
Mar 28, 2023•19 min•Ep. 113
Jamie Rhode, Principal at Verdis Investment Management, sheds light on the opaque world of LPs. Jamie shares insights into how data is utilized at Verdis to make informed decisions about fund allocation strategy. She offers valuable advice for building successful GP/LP relationships, and ofers her views on prevailing trends in the venture capital industry. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 9:34 ] How Verdis chooses VC firms to invest in [ 16:10 ] California is home to the majority of U.S. unicorn...
Mar 14, 2023•36 min•Ep. 112
Manu Kumar, Founder and Chief Firestarter of K9 Ventures, talks about how he balances being an investor and a founder. He shares unique insights from his experience founding Carta, HiHello and his other startups, and lessons from his high-conviction type of investing. In this episode, you’ll learn: [ 3:32 ] Why solo GPs prioritize deal quality over quantity, and best ways to catch their attention [ 9:08 ] Entrepreneurs need to have strong conviction in their idea and show that they will take the...
Feb 28, 2023•26 min•Ep. 111
David Thacker, General Partner at Greylock, shares insights from his career journey. He previously led product development at high-growth tech companies such as Google and LinkedIn and now invests in consumer and B2B2C tech startups. He discusses changes in the venture capital industry and their impact on fundraising for founders. In this episode, you'll learn: 3:45 Make calculated bets during slow periods to capitalize on contrarian perspectives. 12:16 Founders who start their company to solve ...
Feb 14, 2023•28 min•Ep. 110
Eric Woo, co-founder and CEO at Revere VC, talks about how Revere is pioneering ‘the Morningstar for venture capital’. Eric shares examples of how VC can become more transparent and more data driven, and gives advice on how to navigate a more complicated future VC world. In this episode, you’ll learn: [** 3:23 **] The value of venture capital in the eyes of a limited partner [** 8:31 **] How do you know you have good access to venture funds as an LP? [** 13:14 **] Revere’s playbook for removing ...
Jan 31, 2023•27 min•Ep. 109
