![Kauffman Fellows Podcast](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-generated-image-bank/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/1170552/1170552-1631654166019-0f6a1c0e8c4a8.jpg)
Kauffman Fellows Podcast
By Kauffman Fellows
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Kauffman Fellows PodcastApr 06, 2022
![Venture Capital Legacy: Harry Gruner, JMI Equity Founder and Managing GP on Advice for Building a Long-Term Firm](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528289233-7e57fb52ceba2.jpg)
Venture Capital Legacy: Harry Gruner, JMI Equity Founder and Managing GP on Advice for Building a Long-Term Firm
Continuing his series on building an enduring investment firm, Mistral Venture Partners Founding Partner, Code Cubitt, sat down with JMI Equity Founder and Managing GP, Harry Gruner, to discuss his advice for building a firm for the long-term. Harry Gruner is the Managing Partner at JMI Equity, a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software companies. He has been working with software companies for more than 30 years, having had the privilege of participating in the growth of the software industry from its infancy to where it is today.
![Venture Capital Legacy: Chuck Newhall, Greenspring Associates Venture Capitalist on Building a 100-Year Firm](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528265354-eabfffa650fbd.jpg)
Venture Capital Legacy: Chuck Newhall, Greenspring Associates Venture Capitalist on Building a 100-Year Firm
Continuing his series on building an enduring investment firm, Mistral Venture Partners Founding Partner, Code Cubitt, sat down with Greenspring Associates Venture Capitalist, Chuck Newhall, to discuss the lessons learned building a 100-year firm. Chuck Newhall is a Chairman Emeritus at Greenspring Associates, a leading global venture capital investment firm that offers institutional and individual investors a comprehensive platform dedicated to the asset class.
![Venture Capital Legacy: Phil Wickham, Sozo Ventures Managing Director on Building an Enduring VC Culture](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528242075-45119667b2cce.jpg)
Venture Capital Legacy: Phil Wickham, Sozo Ventures Managing Director on Building an Enduring VC Culture
Continuing his series on building an enduring investment firm, Mistral Venture Partners Founding Partner, Code Cubitt, sat down with Sozo Ventures Managing Director, Phil Wickham, to discuss what makes a winning VC culture. Phil Wickham is the Managing Director at Sozo Ventures, which invests in category leaders in advanced data technologies, eCommerce, enterprise cloud, fintech, IoT, and healthcare IT, among other emerging sectors. In addition to Sozo, Mr. Wickham serves as the Executive Chairman of the Kauffman Fellows.
![Venture Capital Legacy: Susan Mason, Aligned Partners Co-Founder & Managing Partner on the Evolution of Venture Capital](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528218044-351b2e4456347.jpg)
Venture Capital Legacy: Susan Mason, Aligned Partners Co-Founder & Managing Partner on the Evolution of Venture Capital
Continuing his series on building an enduring investment firm, Mistral Venture Partners Founding Partner, Code Cubitt, sat down with Aligned Partners Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Susan Mason, to discuss how venture capital has evolved during her career. Susan Mason is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Aligned Partners, which invests in highly capital efficient start-ups in the IT area. Before co-founding Aligned Partners, she spent 15 years with ONSET Ventures, a venture capital firm with $1 billion under management focused on early-stage investing.
![Venture Capital Legacy: Brent Belzberg, TorQuest Partners Sr. Managing Partner on Building a Long-Term Investing Team](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528196608-a5e9ac2ae63b2.jpg)
Venture Capital Legacy: Brent Belzberg, TorQuest Partners Sr. Managing Partner on Building a Long-Term Investing Team
Continuing his series on building an enduring investment firm, Mistral Venture Partners Founding Partner, Code Cubitt, sat down with TorQuest Partners Sr. Managing Partner, Brent Belzberg, to discuss how he’s developed and grown his investment team. Brent Belzberg is the Senior Managing Partner at TorQuest Partners, a Canadian-based manager of private equity funds with a proven track record in identifying and building value in a diversified portfolio of companies. With over $2 billion of equity capital under management, TorQuest Partners pursues investments in middle-market–later-stage companies with the goal of building value through opportune acquisitions, strategic leadership, and the timely use of financial expertise.
![Venture Capital Legacy: Mike Maples, Floodgate Co-Founder and Partner on Investing in Lean Startups](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528173937-8d4b43b41a10f.jpg)
Venture Capital Legacy: Mike Maples, Floodgate Co-Founder and Partner on Investing in Lean Startups
To kick off his series on building an enduring investment firm, Mistral Venture Partners Founding Partner, Code Cubitt, sat down with Floodgate Co-Founder and Partner, Mike Maples, to discuss his transition from entrepreneur to investor and how he got his start investing in lean startups. Mike Maples is the Co-Founder and Partner at Floodgate, which invests in the extraordinary top "point 1 percent" companies earlier than anyone else and provides as much help as possible in realizing extraordinary outcomes.
![Venture in the Middle: John Tough, Energize Ventures Managing Partner On Investing in Industrials in the Midwest](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528135610-870b869d4ebb.jpg)
Venture in the Middle: John Tough, Energize Ventures Managing Partner On Investing in Industrials in the Midwest
This series of interviews by Maggie Kenefake, Venture Partner with Royal Street Ventures, focuses on investing in the Midwest. In this episode, Maggie talks with John Tough, Managing Partner at Energize Ventures in Chicago, on his company’s focus on digital transformation of energy and industrial markets and focus on emerging tech and capital-intensive industries.
![Venture in the Middle: Ginger Rothrock, Senior Director at HG Ventures on achieving greater impact through VC](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528112500-3d02d6a7dfaf1.jpg)
Venture in the Middle: Ginger Rothrock, Senior Director at HG Ventures on achieving greater impact through VC
This series of interviews by Maggie Kenefake, Venture Partner with Royal Street Ventures, focuses on investing in the Midwest. In this episode, Maggie talks with Ginger Rothrock, Senior Director at HG Ventures, a VC firm based in Indianapolis with the resources of 100 year-old multi-billion dollar industrial, Heritage Group Companies, behind it. Ginger invests in companies involved in software but also and most often in hardtech and physical innovation, including heavy construction materials, specialty chemicals, and environmental services. More specifically, the company invests in entrepreneurs working in those core industrial business areas, helping to connect the resources Heritage Group can give entrepreneurs to generate better outcomes and better returns.
![Venture in the Middle: Roy Bahat of Bloomberg Beta on the future of work](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528086869-93a2f7d8f124d.jpg)
Venture in the Middle: Roy Bahat of Bloomberg Beta on the future of work
This episode finds Maggie Kenefake, Venture Partner with Royal Street Ventures, continuing her series of talks with Roy Bahat, a Partner at Bloomberg Beta. The company, Roy said, is a small firm that invests only for financial return, not as a strategic investor. They’re exclusively focused on the future of work and everything relating to modern business.
![Venture in the Middle: Mary Grove, Bread and Butter Investors On Their Three Areas of Investing Focus](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528060954-6ec4c1403339c.jpg)
Venture in the Middle: Mary Grove, Bread and Butter Investors On Their Three Areas of Investing Focus
In this series, Maggie Kenefake, Venture Partner with Royal Street Ventures, talked with investors about the untapped potential for venture capital in the Midwest. This episode features Google alum Mary Grove revealing why her newish startup, Bread and Butter Investors, focuses on three specific industries of food tech, health tech, and enterprise software.
![Venture in the Middle: Victor Gutwein, M25 Founder on Midwest-Focused Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633528030270-74d43ab8b57d1.jpg)
Venture in the Middle: Victor Gutwein, M25 Founder on Midwest-Focused Investing
In this episode, Maggie Kenefake, Venture Partner with Royal Street Ventures, talked with Victor Gutwein, M25 Founder and Managing Director on Venture in the Middle. Victor and M25 focus on very early-stage deals in the Midwest, starting with his first fund of $1 million in 2016 and moving through Fund 3 of $31 million in 2019. They’ve made more than 108 investments in 24 different cities and have found abundant opportunities with a geographic focus.
![Venture in the Middle: Karen Kerr, Exposition Ventures Founder and Managing Director On Digital Transformation of the Industrial Value Chain](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633527991428-d026a3ca2f776.jpg)
Venture in the Middle: Karen Kerr, Exposition Ventures Founder and Managing Director On Digital Transformation of the Industrial Value Chain
In this series, Maggie Kenefake, Venture Partner with Royal Street Ventures, talked with investors about the untapped potential for venture capital in the Midwest. In this episode, Founder and Managing Director of Exposition Ventures, Karen Kerr, talks with Maggie about her career in industrial tech, her firm’s focus on the digital transformation of the industrial value chain and why she started her firm in Chicago.
![Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Bejul Somaia, Lightspeed Ventures, India, Managing Partner On Transitioning from Operator to Investor](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633470774837-8f9bc7c68d76e.jpg)
Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Bejul Somaia, Lightspeed Ventures, India, Managing Partner On Transitioning from Operator to Investor
In this series, Pinn Lawjindakul, venture investor at Lightspeed Ventures Partners, explores the challenges and best practices of venture building in emerging markets through conversations with leading investors and founders across India, China, Southeast Asia. In this episode, listen as Pinn talks with Bejul Somaia, Managing Partner at Lightspeed Ventures, India. Bejul got his first exposure to the VC world as an operator just before the dotcom boom and bust, started another company, and then leapt into the venture capital game with gusto.
![Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: James Mi, Founding Partner of Lightspeed China On Learning from Mistakes](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633470749530-f72c4ae5f971d.jpg)
Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: James Mi, Founding Partner of Lightspeed China On Learning from Mistakes
In this series, Pinn Lawjindakul, venture investor at Lightspeed Ventures Partners, explores the challenges and best practices of venture building in emerging markets through conversations with leading investors and founders across India, China, Southeast Asia. In this episode, listen as Pinn talks with James Mi, founding partner of lightspeed China, a leading China focused venture investment firm with over $2 billion under management. James ranks 21st on the 2024 global top 100 VC Midas list.
![Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Vaibhav Gupta, Udaan Co-founder On Building Unicorns for India](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633470726287-057250e0289f.jpg)
Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Vaibhav Gupta, Udaan Co-founder On Building Unicorns for India
In this series, Pinn Lawjindakul, venture investor at Lightspeed Ventures Partners, explores the challenges and best practices of venture building in emerging markets through conversations with leading investors and founders across India, China, Southeast Asia. In this episode, listen as Pinn talks with Vaibhav Gupta (VG), Co-founder of Udaan, India’s largest B2B ecommerce platform. VG, Pinn noted, has been “annoyingly successful,” having established two unicorns in the last decade, in Udaan and Flipkart, which is the largest Indian B2C ecommerce platform.
![Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Ritesh Agarwal, OYO Hotels & Homes Founder On Building A Top Platform In An Emerging Market](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633470692791-b329e4ff38c93.jpg)
Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Ritesh Agarwal, OYO Hotels & Homes Founder On Building A Top Platform In An Emerging Market
In this series, Pinn Lawjindakul, venture investor at Lightspeed Ventures Partners, explores the challenges and best practices of venture building in emerging markets through conversations with leading investors and founders across India, China, Southeast Asia. This episode finds Pinn talking with Ritesh Agarwal, founder and CEO of OYO Hotels and Homes. The company is one of the leading technology and revenue growth platforms for over 100,000 small hotels and home owners globally.
![Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Jenny Lee, GGV Managing Partner On How She Selects Emerging Market Companies](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633470659290-b05b477bf2533.jpg)
Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Jenny Lee, GGV Managing Partner On How She Selects Emerging Market Companies
In this series, Pinn Lawjindakul, venture investor at Lightspeed Ventures Partners, explores the challenges and best practices of venture building in emerging markets through conversations with leading investors and founders across India, China, Southeast Asia. This episode finds Pinn talking with Jenny Lee, Managing Partner at GGV Capital, which has funded many emerging-market success stories.
![Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Nick Nash, Asia Partners Managing Partner and Co-Founder On Building Successful Business in Southeast Asia](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633470623223-d0850d4f0cfcb.jpg)
Secrets of Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Nick Nash, Asia Partners Managing Partner and Co-Founder On Building Successful Business in Southeast Asia
In this series, Pinn Lawjindakul, venture investor at Lightspeed Ventures Partners, explores the challenges and best practices of venture building in emerging markets through conversations with leading investors and founders across India, China, Southeast Asia. In this episode Pinn talks with Nick Nash, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Asia Partners. After starting his career with McKinsey, Nick moved to General Atlantic and was Group President of Sea, Greater Southeast Asia’s leading internet company, where he led the internet company on a journey from a private company to the largest US IPO from Southeast Asia. Nick is a member of the global Kauffman Society for leadership in venture capital.
![Women in Deep Tech: Maryanna Saenko, Future Ventures Co-Founder and Partner on Why Deep Tech is the Space To Be In](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633465161803-1e04eb20bdf12.jpg)
Women in Deep Tech: Maryanna Saenko, Future Ventures Co-Founder and Partner on Why Deep Tech is the Space To Be In
Continuing her series on women leading deep tech investments, VP at Boost VC, Maddie Callander, sat down with Future Ventures Co-Founder and Partner, Maryanna Saenko, to discuss everything that makes deep tech so fascinating. Maryanna Saenko is the Co-Founder and Partner at Future Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on frontier technology investments. She has an academic background that mixes material science, biomedical engineering, and robotics, having worked on everything from lunar rovers to long-range, low-frequency communication, and all sorts of interesting robots.
![Women in Deep Tech: Christy Cardenas, Grit Ventures Managing Partner on the Role of Universities in Deep Tech](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633465129726-f69e2528cf1ea.jpg)
Women in Deep Tech: Christy Cardenas, Grit Ventures Managing Partner on the Role of Universities in Deep Tech
Continuing her series on women leading deep tech investments, VP at Boost VC, Maddie Callander, sat down with Grit Ventures Managing Partner, Christy Cardenas, to discuss how universities have been so valuable for sourcing deep tech investments. Christy Cardenas is the Managing Partner at Grit Ventures, which funds pre-seed and seed-stage deep tech investments in robotics, AI, and energy startups disrupting major industries like construction, agriculture, transportation, and logistics. She has ten years and $12 billion in investment banking, private equity, and venture capital transaction experience, including M&A, debt, equity, fundraising, and fund management.
![Women in Deep Tech: Tess Hatch, BVP Partner on What’s Unique About Investing in Deep Tech](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633465100005-e4d70aa859f9f.jpg)
Women in Deep Tech: Tess Hatch, BVP Partner on What’s Unique About Investing in Deep Tech
Continuing her series on women leading deep tech investments, VP at Boost VC, Maddie Callander, sat down with BVP Partner, Tess Hatch, to discuss the similarities and differences in deep tech and other investments. Tess Hatch is a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, helping founders lay enduring foundations to create companies that matter, starting with seed and Series A investments and sticking with companies at every stage of their growth. Hatch imagines a future where we travel to space with the frequency we currently travel in an aircraft and wants to partner with deep tech founders who believe in that future as well!
![Women in Deep Tech: Abigail Hunter-Syed, LDV Capital Partner on Deep Tech for Visual Data](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633465064811-c174fa6e6cc98.jpg)
Women in Deep Tech: Abigail Hunter-Syed, LDV Capital Partner on Deep Tech for Visual Data
Continuing her series on women leading deep tech investments, VP at Boost VC, Maddie Callander, sat down with LDV Capital Partner, Abby Hunter-Syed, to discuss deep tech for visual data. Abby Hunter-Syed is a Partner at LDV Capital, investing in people building businesses powered by visual tech. LDV Capital thrives on collaborating with deep technical teams that leverage computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to analyze visual data.
![Women in Deep Tech: Deena Shakir, Lux Capital Partner on turning Science Fiction into Fact](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633465028466-c0b1afb2df403.jpg)
Women in Deep Tech: Deena Shakir, Lux Capital Partner on turning Science Fiction into Fact
Continuing her series on women leading deep tech investments, VP at Boost VC, Maddie Callander, sat down with Lux Capital Partner, Deena Shakir, to discuss her journey to venture and how she approaches solving some of the world’s biggest problems. Deena Shakir is a Partner at Lux Capital, where she invests in transformative technologies streamlining analog industries and improving lives and livelihoods. She is particularly interested in intersectional and polymath entrepreneurs building breakthrough companies and accelerating advances and equity in human and population health.
![Women in Deep Tech: Suzanne Fletcher, Prime Movers Lab General Partner on the Exciting Opportunities in Deep Tech](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633464993302-d9c5e07e7f997.jpg)
Women in Deep Tech: Suzanne Fletcher, Prime Movers Lab General Partner on the Exciting Opportunities in Deep Tech
To kick off her series on women leading deep tech investments, VP at Boost VC, Maddie Callander, sat down with Prime Movers Lab General Partner, Suzanne Fletcher, to discuss her passion for deep tech and the opportunities that it presents. Suzanne Fletcher is a General Partner at Prime Movers Lab, which invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by the world's prime movers – the inventors who transform billions of lives across energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture. Fletcher started her career at Morgan Stanley as an analyst in the tech and BioTech spaces and spent a decade on the LP side before moving to the direct investing side, where she remains to this day.
![The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Melody Koh, NextView Ventures Partner on Product Meets Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633443974859-8fe6b182991f8.jpg)
The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Melody Koh, NextView Ventures Partner on Product Meets Investing
This week, Mighty Capital Founding Partner and host of the series on The Age of Product, SC Moatti, sat down with NextView Partner, Melody Koh to discuss where product meets investing. Melody Koh is a Partner at NextView Ventures, which is a C-stage focused firm. She has experience both in Consumer B2B and marketplace investments. Before joining NextView Ventures, Koh was Head of Product at Blue Apron. She joined Blue Apron as their first product hire and helped scale the business, built out their product management function, and more.
![The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Joe Robinson, Designers + Geek Founder, Circle fmr CPO, now Hummingbird Founding CEO on the Power of Networks](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633443944731-c7bb9e1724b49.jpg)
The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Joe Robinson, Designers + Geek Founder, Circle fmr CPO, now Hummingbird Founding CEO on the Power of Networks
This week, Mighty Capital Founding Partner and host of the series on The Age of Product, SC Moatti, sat down with Hummingbird Founding CEO, Joe Robinson to discuss the power of networks. Joe Robinson is the Founding CEO of Hummingbird, a platform fighting financial crime. Before Hummingbird, he spent time at various financial institutions, including Square, where he served as a product manager. Robinson was also the VP of Product at Circle, an early cryptocurrency exchange. He also founded Designers + Geeks, one of the largest communities of technologists.
![The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Sami Inkinen, Virta Health Founder & CEO on Investor Relationships That Build Winning Products](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633443914888-96bb8ae3029c4.jpg)
The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Sami Inkinen, Virta Health Founder & CEO on Investor Relationships That Build Winning Products
This week, Mighty Capital Founding Partner and host of the series on The Age of Product, SC Moatti, sat down with Virta Health Founding CEO, Sami Inkinen to discuss the investor relationships that build winning products. Sami Inkinen is Founding CEO of Virta Health, a healthcare technology company. He is also a Co-Founder of Trulia, a real estate marketplace. Inkinen likes creating positive disruptive change in business and personal performance through new technologies and hard work.
![The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Renee Niemi, Logitech fmr CPO, now Products That Count CPO on the Evolution of Product and Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633443882690-3a5dd7cf8d6f.jpg)
The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Renee Niemi, Logitech fmr CPO, now Products That Count CPO on the Evolution of Product and Investing
This week, Mighty Capital Founding Partner and host of the series on The Age of Product, SC Moatti, sat down with one of the first CPOs (Chief Product Officers) in the world, Logitech fmr CPO, now Products That Count CPO, Renee Niemi to discuss the evolution of product and investing. Renee Niemi is a lifelong connoisseur of great products that make a difference in people’s lives. She has spent the last 30 years as the top product and business leader for leading companies like Logitech, Plantronics, and Google. Niemi has led teams primarily at the intersection of computing and mobility and was one of the first Chief Product officers. She is also a Partner at Mighty Capital.
![The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Spenser Skates, Amplitude Founding CEO on Competing Against FAANGs](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633443850311-d274b626fb205.jpg)
The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Spenser Skates, Amplitude Founding CEO on Competing Against FAANGs
This week, Mighty Capital Founding Partner and host of the series on The Age of Product, SC Moatti, sat down with Amplitude Founding CEO, Spenser Skates to discuss how companies can compete against FAANGs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google). Spenser Skates is the Founding CEO of Amplitude, a digital acceleration platform that recently filed to go public ーI’m proud that he’s also in the Mighty Capital portfolio. Before Amplitude, he worked at DRW Trading Group as an algorithmic trader. Skates studied Bioengineering at MIT where he twice won Battlecode, MIT’s largest programming competition.
![The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Satya Patel, Homebrew Partner on Disruption and Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1633443780363-c9b363cd1f94f.jpg)
The Age of Product: Winning Against FAANG: Satya Patel, Homebrew Partner on Disruption and Investing
This week, Mighty Capital Founding Partner and host of the series on The Age of Product, SC Moatti, sat down with Homebrew Partner, Satya Patel to discuss disruption and investing. Patel is a Co-founding Partner at Homebrew, a seed-stage venture capital firm. Before starting Homebrew, he was VP of Product at Twitter. Patel has hopped between investing and product roles during his career, including a stint in product management at Google.
![Net-Zero: Albert Wenger, Union Square Ventures Managing Partner on the Importance of Investing in Climate](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632444508765-d3218c9194d9c.jpg)
Net-Zero: Albert Wenger, Union Square Ventures Managing Partner on the Importance of Investing in Climate
Finishing his series on the journey to net-zero, Contrarian Ventures Founder & Managing Partner, Rokas Peciulaitis, sat down with Union Square Ventures Managing Partner, Albert Wenger, to discuss why it’s so important to invest in climate.
![Net-Zero: Katie Rae, The Engine CEO & Managing Partner on Investing in Impact Companies at the University & Lab Level](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632443550852-239d7f52f5e87.jpg)
Net-Zero: Katie Rae, The Engine CEO & Managing Partner on Investing in Impact Companies at the University & Lab Level
Continuing his series on the journey to net-zero, Contrarian Ventures Founder & Managing Partner, Rokas Peciulaitis, sat down with The Engine CEO & Managing Partner, Katie Rae, to discuss investing in impactful founders and companies at the university and lab levels.
![Net-Zero: Christian Jølck, 2150 Founding Partner on Building a Better World Through Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632443197081-28d2e01e1661c.jpg)
Net-Zero: Christian Jølck, 2150 Founding Partner on Building a Better World Through Investing
Continuing his series on the journey to net-zero, Contrarian Ventures Founder & Managing Partner, Rokas Peciulaitis, sat down with 2150 Founding Partner, Christian Jølck, to discuss a way to invest that builds a better world.
![Net-Zero: Andrew Beebe, Obvious Ventures Managing Director on Sustainable Systems & Long-term Thinking in Net-Zero investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632442873114-1a0765ae145d3.jpg)
Net-Zero: Andrew Beebe, Obvious Ventures Managing Director on Sustainable Systems & Long-term Thinking in Net-Zero investing
Continuing his series on the journey to net-zero, Contrarian Ventures Founder & Managing Partner, Rokas Peciulaitis, sat down with Obvious Ventures Managing Director, Andrew Beebe, to discuss sustainable systems and net-zero investing.
![Net-Zero: Clay Dumas, Lowercarbon Capital Partner on Bringing Government Policy Understanding into Climate Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632442649953-1a538e07afcd4.jpg)
Net-Zero: Clay Dumas, Lowercarbon Capital Partner on Bringing Government Policy Understanding into Climate Investing
Continuing his series on the journey to net-zero, Contrarian Ventures Founder & Managing Partner, Rokas Peciulaitis, sat down with Lowercarbon Capital Partner, Clay Dumas, to discuss how he is bringing his government policy understanding into climate investing and helping to solve the climate crisis at large.
![Net-Zero: Carmichael Roberts, Material Impact Founder & Member at Breakthrough Energy Ventures on a Passion for Resilient Technology](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632442262015-033200911e32c.jpg)
Net-Zero: Carmichael Roberts, Material Impact Founder & Member at Breakthrough Energy Ventures on a Passion for Resilient Technology
To kick off this series on the journey to net-zero, Contrarian Ventures Founder & Managing Partner, Rokas Peciulaitis, sat down with Material Impact Founder and member at Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), Carmichael Roberts, to discuss resilient technology and how he’s pursued his passions through venture capital.
![The Human Side of Venture: Ken Elefant, Sorenson Ventures Co-Founder & Partner on the Networking Superpower in Venture Capital](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632440492875-98b8dec5e356c.jpg)
The Human Side of Venture: Ken Elefant, Sorenson Ventures Co-Founder & Partner on the Networking Superpower in Venture Capital
Closing out his series on the human side of investing and company building, Outliers Venture Capital Founder & Managing Partner, Mohammed Almeshekah, sat down with Sorenson Ventures Co-Founder & Partner, Ken Elefant, to discuss the importance of networking in venture capital and how to hone it as a superpower.
![The Human Side of Venture: Jason Green, Emergence Capital Founder & GP on Early-Stage Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632440263868-c2e557ae60cc.jpg)
The Human Side of Venture: Jason Green, Emergence Capital Founder & GP on Early-Stage Investing
Continuing his series on the human side of investing and company building, Outliers Venture Capital Founder & Managing Partner, Mohammed Almeshekah, sat down with Emergence Capital Founder & General Partner, Jason Green, to discuss early-stage investing and what founders and investors should look for in one another.
![The Human Side of Venture: Elizabeth Yin, Hustle Fund GP on the Mindset of Investors and Founders](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632439949729-9238696d5ddf4.jpg)
The Human Side of Venture: Elizabeth Yin, Hustle Fund GP on the Mindset of Investors and Founders
Continuing his series on the human side of investing and company building, Outliers Venture Capital Founder & Managing Partner, Mohammed Almeshekah, sat down with Hustle Fund General Partner, Elizabeth Yin, to discuss the mindset of successful investors and founders.
![The Human Side of Venture: Leo Polovets, Susa Ventures GP on Learning To Be A Great Investor](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632439576830-f41281a5eeea1.jpg)
The Human Side of Venture: Leo Polovets, Susa Ventures GP on Learning To Be A Great Investor
Continuing his series on the human side of investing and company building, Outliers Venture Capital Founder & Managing Partner, Mohammed Almeshekah, sat down with Susa Ventures GP, Leo Polovets, to discuss the process for learning and being a great investor.
![The Human Side of Venture: M.G. Siegler, GV GP on Being a Supportive Investor](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632438999499-9453b9dd5f3d5.jpg)
The Human Side of Venture: M.G. Siegler, GV GP on Being a Supportive Investor
Continuing his series on the human side of investing and company building, Outliers Venture Capital Founder & Managing Partner, Mohammed Almeshekah, sat down with GV GP, M.G. Siegler, to discuss how VCs can best support investors.
![The Human Side of Venture: Duncan Davidson, Bullpen Capital General Partner on Managing People and Personalities When Investing](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632437736314-7516c15c31b8f.jpg)
The Human Side of Venture: Duncan Davidson, Bullpen Capital General Partner on Managing People and Personalities When Investing
To kick off his series on the human side of investing and company building, Outliers Venture Capital Founder & Managing Partner, Mohammed Almeshekah, sat down with Bullpen Capital General Partner, Duncan Davidson, to discuss how to navigate people and personalities in venture capital.
![From Vet to VC: Larsen Jensen, Harpoon Ventures Co-Founder and General Partner On Connecting VC with US Government Opportunities](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632434351382-51754ef040cea.jpg)
From Vet to VC: Larsen Jensen, Harpoon Ventures Co-Founder and General Partner On Connecting VC with US Government Opportunities
In this series called Vet to Venture, Wayne Moore, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures Basecamp Fund, talks with veterans about their unique path in the military to a career in venture and technology. In this episode, Wayne talks with Larsen Jensen, Co-founder and General Partner at Harpoon Ventures about how his “unplanned” path from a military career into VC has worked out so well.
![From Vet to VC: Brad Harrison, Scout Ventures General Partner On VC Success After the Military](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632433963177-905bcdff08ff9.jpg)
From Vet to VC: Brad Harrison, Scout Ventures General Partner On VC Success After the Military
In this series called Vet to Venture, Wayne Moore, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures Basecamp Fund, talks with veterans about their unique path in the military to a career in venture and technology. In this episode, Wayne talks with Bradley Harrison, General Partner with Scout Ventures, about how veterans are well positioned to transition from the military into entrepreneurial life.
![From Vet to VC: Zachary Ellis, HTX Fund Managing Partner On University Tech Transfer and VC Success](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632433643388-8e81776f6d35f.jpg)
From Vet to VC: Zachary Ellis, HTX Fund Managing Partner On University Tech Transfer and VC Success
In this series called Vet to Venture, Wayne Moore, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures Basecamp Fund, talks with veterans about their unique path in the military to a career in venture and technology. In this episode, Wayne talks with Zachary Ellis, Managing Partner with HTX Fund, on thriving in VC after his military career and how he got into the VC universe.
![From Vet to VC: Sherman Williams, Academy Investor Network Managing Partner On “growing up” in the Navy](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632432979696-bfd0479cd0fd2.jpg)
From Vet to VC: Sherman Williams, Academy Investor Network Managing Partner On “growing up” in the Navy
In this series called Vet to Venture, Wayne Moore, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures Basecamp Fund, talks with veterans about their unique path in the military to a career in venture and technology. In this episode, Wayne and Sherman Williams, Managing Partner of the Academy Investor Network, a virtual platform created for U.S. Service Academy Graduates to invest in venture-backed startups in two areas of investment focus: dual-use technology startups and the veteran-led startups.
![From Vet to VC: Todd Connor, Bunker Labs Founder, On How He’s Helping Veterans Embrace Entrepreneurship and VC](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632437805253-603ae4eebcf47.jpg)
From Vet to VC: Todd Connor, Bunker Labs Founder, On How He’s Helping Veterans Embrace Entrepreneurship and VC
In this series called Vet to Venture Capital, Wayne Moore, Managing Partner at AVG Basecamp Fund, talks with veterans about their unique path in the military to a career in venture and technology. In this episode, Wayne and Todd Connor, Navy veteran and founder of Bunker Labs and author of Third Shift Entrepreneur, talk about how vets transition out of the strong direction of the military and into the self direction of the entrepreneur life.
![From Vet to VC: Tyson Clark, GV Partner, On An Incremental Path to VC](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632429832505-259bb217de1fc.jpg)
From Vet to VC: Tyson Clark, GV Partner, On An Incremental Path to VC
In this series called Vet to Venture Capital, Wayne Moore, Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures Basecamp Fund, talks with veterans about their unique path in the military to a career in venture and technology. In this episode, Wayne and Tyson Clark, General Partner at GV, formerly Google Ventures, talk about his history at Stanford, ROTC, serving on a nuclear fast-attack submarine officer, business school, and entering the business world.
![Path to Conviction: Adam Goulburn, LUX Capital Partner on Conviction in VC](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632350972487-b24684fb588bb.jpg)
Path to Conviction: Adam Goulburn, LUX Capital Partner on Conviction in VC
Grove Ventures General Partner Renana Ashkenazi digs into the topic of winning the deal, the before and the after. She’s finishing the series with Adam Goulburn, Partner at Lux Capital, who invests with the idea of “no idea too early and no idea too crazy.” Adam’s areas of focus include biotech, and he always considers the question, “Is this a science project? Or is this science and technology ready for primetime?”
![Path to Conviction: Ann Miura Ko, Floodgate Co-founding Partner on Getting to Conviction Through Gut Feeling](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/1170552/1170552-1632350617148-9846487e0595e.jpg)
Path to Conviction: Ann Miura Ko, Floodgate Co-founding Partner on Getting to Conviction Through Gut Feeling
Grove Ventures General Partner Renana Ashkenazi digs into the topic of winning the deal, the before and the after. In this episode Renana talks with with Ann Miura-Ko on the idea of conviction through gut feeling. Venture investing is a “head and heart” approach, and some investors feel that due diligence is a process where you try to convince your head of what your gut said in the very first meeting. All the data in the world isn't enough to do that, as what you really want is to feel that conviction.