What is the new generation up to? Tune in as we invite Rex Woodbury, founder of Daybreak and the mind behind Digital Native, a digital newsletter with over 60,000 subscribers. From investing at TPG and Index Ventures to creating his venture fund, Daybreak, Rex brings a wealth of knowledge and advice to anyone looking to break into VC. Join us as we explore the founding rationale behind Daybreak, emerging trends in Gen Z, and how Rex held a record for the fastest half-marathon in a suit!
Chapter Timestamps:
(00:00) Background and Introduction to Rex
(06:04) Digital Native and Serendipity
(13:44) Writing Process
(15:03) Shift in Work Economies
(18:33) Behavior Shifts in Gen-Z
(24:20) Starting Daybreak
(32:25) Founder Traits
(35:30) Seeking Mentorship
(37:20) Half-Marathon in a Suit
(41:00) Ikigai and Curiosity
Tune in to a special episode featuring Shiyan Koh, co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, a firm that specializes in seed and pre-seed investments. We'll dive into Shiyan's impressive career journey, covering her investment roles at Institutional Venture Partners and Bridgewater, her pivotal role in scaling Nerdwallet from $1 million to $150 million in annual recurring revenue, and her experiences founding and leading investments at Hustle Fund. Join us to also learn why business school is a perfect matchmaker, the significance of acquiring investing experience as recent graduates, and Shiyan's insights on what really needs venture funding currently.
We are excited to host our first two-on-two episode this season with Varun Ramakrishnan and James Flynn from General Atlantic – a leading global growth equity investor. Both Varun and James graduated from University of Pennsylvania, and have diverse backgrounds. Varun previously held machine learning and software engineering roles at various startups, while James gained experience in growth-stage VC at Georgian and investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Join us as they delve into their current roles at General Atlantic, their approach to technology investing, the cost structures of AI, how companies are adapting to AI, and AI's role in their daily workflows.
Join us in hosting Michael Dolbec, Managing Partner at Momenta Ventures, for our third episode this season. Michael, who boasts an extensive investing career with funds like Kleiner Perkins and Greylock and has led corporate venture capital at companies including IBM, LG Electronics, and General Electric, will share insights on the current state of AI in the industrial space. Tune in to hear a wide range of topics: from personal advice given by John Doerr during Michael's early career days, to how generative AI is revolutionizing manufacturing, and exploring the monetization potential of processing industrial data.
Join us in our second episode this season as we host Sanjana Basu from Radical Ventures. Transitioning from investment banking to venture capital, Sanjana offers a deep dive into the world of healthcare AI. Explore the types of AI companies, understand why a purely technical team doesn't guarantee success, and discover how Radical extends support to founders beyond just financial capital. Additionally, gain insights into how Radical's portfolio companies are pioneering transformations in the healthcare sector through the power of artificial intelligence.
In the very first episode of our AI sprint, we're joined by Yousuf Khan, Partner at Ridge Ventures, specializing in early-stage B2B enterprise software. Yousuf imparts his expertise from various roles in managing, advising, and investing in software companies, providing a lens into his investment philosophy. Tune in as we discuss pragmatic insights on building AI companies for founders, strategic deployment of AI features for businesses, and the ever-increasing imperative of data security in the enterprise software domain
Join us in this exciting special episode as we sit down with Nicole Ripka. Nicole, currently the Managing Partner of Dorm Room Fund and the Founder of GayJoy, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table as an early-in-career VC. As a current MBA student at NYU Stern, her insights are a goldmine for anyone looking to break into the VC scene.
In this captivating conversation, Nicole shares her remarkable journey as Peleton's first intern and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. We delve into the intricacies of the venture capital industry, uncovering Nicole's top tips for aspiring VC professionals.
Tune in and discover the strategies and wisdom that can help you navigate the exciting landscape of VC and turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Don't miss out on this extraordinary episode!
Learn more about Nicole:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Where to find more of us:Website
TwitterInstagram
What does it take to be an early investor in Beyond Meat? Conviction. In this episode of our Food and Beverage Sprint, we sit down with Lisa Feria, the Managing Partner and CEO of Stray Dog Capital, to discuss her journey into food tech investing. In our discussion, Lisa discusses her early investment in Beyond Meat, one of the world's most successful plant-based meat companies, and how the company's hype changed the investing landscape. Join us as we talk about the shift towards emphasizing healthier alternative foods and how Stray Dog Capital is helping to drive that change. Learn more about Lisa:
Twitter Where to find more of us:
Why would VC invest in consumer brands? In the fifth episode of our Food and Beverage Sprint, Hayden Williams of BrandProject explains how consumer brands can generate venture returns. Tune in as we dive into the world of consumer packaged goods (CPG), and how BrandProject supports its portfolio companies to success.
You won't want to miss Hayden's valuable insights into the world of CPG investments!
Learn more about Hayden:
Where to find more of us:
Artist, accidental founder, accelerator director. Join us as we chat with Caroline Mak, Director of Big Idea Ventures, New York Accelerator, about the future of food and alternative proteins! 🌾 Caroline shares her journey from being an artist and a founder of an artisanal beverage company, to enabling founders and innovators to disrupt the food ecosystem. In this episode, we discuss the importance of supporting ecosystems and relationships as a founder and venture capitalist. 🤝🌟 We also discuss what's next in the alternative foods space and gain insights into success in accelerator programs. Don't miss this exciting conversation with Caroline Mak! Learn more about Caroline:
LinkedIn Where to find more of us:
Distilling alcohol in a lab!? In this third episode of our Food and Beverage Sprint, we sit down with Alec Lee of Endless West to explore the fascinating world of note-by-note alcohol and the science behind creating spirits at the molecular level. We also dive into the founder experience and the role that luck plays in being successful as an entrepreneur. Alec shares his insights on how he started and grew his business, and the challenges he faced along the way. Whether you're a science enthusiast, a spirits connoisseur, or a startup founder looking for inspiration and advice, this episode has something for everyone. Tune in for an insightful and engaging conversation with Alec Lee that you won't want to miss!
Learn more about Alec:
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How do you innovate mac and cheese? In the second installment of Founder Friendly's Food & Beverage sprint, we're diving into the world of comfort food and venture capital! Join us as we explore the secrets to delivering a mouthwatering product, with insights from industry expert Genevieve Gilbreath of Springdale Ventures.
Not only will you discover the three key factors that separate the good from the great in product delivery, but you'll also gain a behind-the-scenes look at how VCs make the tough decision of which brands to invest in. With two decades of experience in the consumer product space, Genevieve will reveal what it takes to be a true entrepreneur and stand out in a crowded market.
Learn more about Genevieve:
In the first episode of our food and beverage sprint, we talk to Po Bronson, Managing Director of IndieBio, the world’s leading biotechnology accelerator. Join us as we explore the world of alternative foods and the investments behind them. Listen to learn about the importance of how startups deliver their product, the necessity of technical knowledge in the food industry, and the science behind what makes the food we eat tasty!
Interested in learning more about Po and IndieBio?
Twitter: @pobronson
Website: IndieBio
Today, we continue our Crypto/Web3 sprint and spoke with Dan Elitzer, the co-founder of Nascent, a global multi-strategy investment firm focused on crypto, DeFi, and open finance. Tune in to learn about the criteria investors look for in crypto startups, how social impact can be tied into this space in the coming years, and Dan's advice for students who are looking to break into this space.
Also, check out some of the resources that Dan talks about in the podcast and a cool project that Nascent has been working on:
https://thedefiant.io
https://newsletter.banklesshq.com
yobot.com
And follow him on Twitter! @delitzer @nascentxyz
In the next episode in our Crypto/Web3 sprint, we spoke with Kevin Nielsen, the founder of Boardroom, a management platform for DAOs that helps members frictionlessly participate in governance. Listen to learn all about DAOs, what their use cases look like now and in the future, and how you can join one today to be a part of the crypto space!
Interested in learning more about DAOs after listening to this episode? Check out Kevin's article on DAOs below and follow Boardroom on Twitter at @boardroom_info
https://thedefiant.io/what-is-a-dao-mapping-out-the-ecosystem/
This week we spoke to Jonathan Goldberg, CEO and Founder of Caron Direct, to discuss both the investment and carbon management aspects of climate impact. Listen to hear the role financial institutions and governments can play in accelerating climate impact and learn about the future of the Voluntary Carbon Market.
To kick off our LegalTech sprint we invited Jacqueline Schafer, Founder and CEO of Clearbrief, to discuss robo-ethics. Listen to hear how Clearbrief can tell if you’re lying and helps David beat Goliath in the courtroom.
We invited Yee Lee, VP of Growth & Special Projects at Terraformation, to discuss all things reforestation. A four time founder and early employee of PayPal, Yee talks about how his new company, Terraformation, seeks to scale carbon capture, from seed to forest.
Founder Friendly returns! This week we talk climate and crypto with Paul Gambill, CEO and Co-Founder of Nori. Listen to hear about the Nori Token - a cryptocurrency designed to be the world’s universal market-driven reference price for carbon dioxide removal.
