Cyan Banister

The fact that I'm a high school dropout, I didn't go to university is a plus in his mind. He wants to work with investors who never wanted to be investors.

The fact that I'm a high school dropout, I didn't go to university is a plus in his mind. He wants to work with investors who never wanted to be investors.

I was homeless at a very young age and I grew up very poor. And I always remember where I came from. And so when I do investments, for example, some of the investments I've made in Postmates or Uber, I always think about the younger me, which is if I could have driven an Uber or I could have delivered a sandwich, that would have been life-changing for me.

I was homeless at a very young age and I grew up very poor. And I always remember where I came from. And so when I do investments, for example, some of the investments I've made in Postmates or Uber, I always think about the younger me, which is if I could have driven an Uber or I could have delivered a sandwich, that would have been life-changing for me.

And I think a lot of the times when we're investors, we live in a bubble, our lives are relatively comfortable for the most part, and we lose track of what the rest of the world's experience is. Being able to have flexibility in your income and in your work is a dream come true for many, many people.

And I think a lot of the times when we're investors, we live in a bubble, our lives are relatively comfortable for the most part, and we lose track of what the rest of the world's experience is. Being able to have flexibility in your income and in your work is a dream come true for many, many people.

And so my North Star is around ending poverty, creating different types of wealth categories and income generating categories for people who didn't have access to those in the past. For example, AngelList. crowdfunding, reg CF financing, things like that are really interesting to me. And if you look across my portfolio, that's not always the case.

And so my North Star is around ending poverty, creating different types of wealth categories and income generating categories for people who didn't have access to those in the past. For example, AngelList. crowdfunding, reg CF financing, things like that are really interesting to me. And if you look across my portfolio, that's not always the case.

Sometimes I'm just really interested in a category and I want to invest in it. But for the most part, I would say that anytime someone comes to me and they say, I have a new way for people to reach a market and sell a product that could be life-changing for a small entrepreneur. That's where I really, really, really like to play.

Sometimes I'm just really interested in a category and I want to invest in it. But for the most part, I would say that anytime someone comes to me and they say, I have a new way for people to reach a market and sell a product that could be life-changing for a small entrepreneur. That's where I really, really, really like to play.

I think that some of the companies, while vilified, like if you look at Uber and you look at Postmates, they've been vilified throughout time. It really, really doesn't take into account that there's people out there that are disabled. There's people out there that have family on hospice. There's people out there that have children in daycare and they need that flexibility.

I think that some of the companies, while vilified, like if you look at Uber and you look at Postmates, they've been vilified throughout time. It really, really doesn't take into account that there's people out there that are disabled. There's people out there that have family on hospice. There's people out there that have children in daycare and they need that flexibility.

They need that source of income. And otherwise they would have been locked into a nine to five job with no flexibility, unable to take care of their relatives, unable to take care of their own medical needs. And so I want to invest in things that really change and move the needle in people's lives on a grand, grand scale.

They need that source of income. And otherwise they would have been locked into a nine to five job with no flexibility, unable to take care of their relatives, unable to take care of their own medical needs. And so I want to invest in things that really change and move the needle in people's lives on a grand, grand scale.

And then I think there's obviously venture returns in those opportunities, but they also align with my North Star and my core values.

And then I think there's obviously venture returns in those opportunities, but they also align with my North Star and my core values.

Yeah, I really like when a founder has overcome some kind of adversity. So it's one of the questions I ask, which is what sort of adversity have you faced in your life? And I'm not looking for a story like mine. Adversity comes in many, many ways. For example...

Yeah, I really like when a founder has overcome some kind of adversity. So it's one of the questions I ask, which is what sort of adversity have you faced in your life? And I'm not looking for a story like mine. Adversity comes in many, many ways. For example...

You might be a founder who grew up in a family that expected you to become a doctor or a lawyer, and maybe they immigrated to America, and they know that that's a really good career for you to have. And so they push you hard to do those things. And then you say, no, actually, I'm going to go start something else, and I'm going to build this company because...

You might be a founder who grew up in a family that expected you to become a doctor or a lawyer, and maybe they immigrated to America, and they know that that's a really good career for you to have. And so they push you hard to do those things. And then you say, no, actually, I'm going to go start something else, and I'm going to build this company because...