Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands | Technology
Episodes
Holiday Recap: George Milton, CEO of Yellowbird Sauce
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode are highlights from my conversation with George Milton.George Milton is the co-founder and CEO of Yellowbird Sauce, Spicy condiments craf...
Holiday Recap: Coulter Lewis, CEO of Sunday
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode are highlights from my conversation with Coulter Lewis.Coulter Lewis is the founder and CEO of Sunday. Sunday provides nutrient and soil ...
Holiday Recap: Adelle Archer, CEO of Eterneva
12 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode are highlights from my episode with Adelle Archer.Adelle Archer is the founder of Eterneva, which celebrates remarkable lives by making d...
Holiday Recap: Kate Boyle, CEO of Banjo Robinson
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Boyle is the founder and CEO of Banjo Robinson. Banjo Robinson is a magical cat that writes personalized letters that turn reading, writing and...
Annoucement: Consumer VC Holiday Schedule
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey Everyone!For this holiday period, I'll be releasing an episode every morning of Hanukkah (starting tomorrow) that will be some of the best mom...
Matthias Metternich (Art of Sport) - Building the Nike of Body Care, The Power of the Athlete, and How to Build a Compelling Story for Retail
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is Matthias Metternich, one of the co-founders and CEO of Art of Sport. Art of Sport is a complete line of daily essential body and ski...
Aaron Fu (Catalyst Fund) - The Biggest Misconception When Investing In Emerging Markets, Difference Between Selling to SMBs and Consumers, and the Effects of Mobile First
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Aaron Fu, Head of Growth at Catalyst Fund. Catalyst Fund is an inclusive fintech accelerator that is focused on investing in compan...
Vincent Diallo & Joseph Sartre (Interlace Ventures) - Why ecommerce is boring, Why is China at the Forefront of Retail Tech, and Headless Commerce Explained
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guests today are Vincent Diallo and Joseph Sartre, founding partners of Interlace Ventures. Interlace is a seed stage fund that invests in founder...
Michael Barlow (Fernish) - The Advantage of Not Knowing, His Approach to Building a Rental Furniture Supply Chain, and The Biggest Hurdle When Fundraising
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Anna Barber for the intro to today's guest, Michael Barlow, founder and CEO of Fernish. Fernish offers premium furniture rentals that fe...
Samara Hernandez (Chingona Ventures) - Why Chicago, How Diverse VC Teams Lead To Investing In Markets That Are Overlooked, and Some of the Differences When Investing In Consumer vs. Enterprise
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is Samara Hernandez, founder of Chingona Ventures. Samara invests at the preseed and seed stages on industries that are massively chang...
Elizabeth Edwards (H Ventures) - Why Some DNVBs Don't Work On Shelf, Different Customer Insights You Receive in Retail vs. DTC and Demystifying Corporate Venture Capital
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is Elizabeth Edwards, the founder and Managing Partner of H Venture Partners. H Ventures invests in brands that are disrupting billion-...
Taylor Nieman (Toucan) - Browser Extension Businesses, The Power of Partnerships, and Her Unique Approach to Fundraising
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Taylor Nieman, founder of Toucan. Toucan is a free chrome extension that helps you learn a language without even trying. It's p...
Nikhil Basu Trivedi (Next Big Thing) - Why Investing in Consumer Subscription Businesses Has Become The Next Big Thing, and The Reasons Physical Goods and Software Businesses Aren't That Different
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Ezra Galston for the intro to today's guest, Nikhil Basu Trivedi. Nikhil previously was the managing director of Shasta ventures and wri...
Carlton Fowler (Goat Rodeo Capital) - The Changing Landscape In Beverage, Why Beverage is Poised For Ecommerce, and His Thoughts Around Portfolio Construction
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Carlton Fowler, Managing Partner of Goat Rodeo Capital. Carlton invests in the beverage space with some of his invests including le...
Han Shen (iFly.VC) - How He Thinks About Overlooked Opportunities, Focusing on a Sector Rather Than Becoming Opportunistic, and How One of His Portfolio Companies Was Able to Pivot Successfully
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Han Shen. Han is the Founding Partner of iFly.vc, an early-stage seed/VC fund based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The fund follows...
Elaine Russell (Greycroft) - The Future of Retail, How to Choose a Co-Founder, and Running a Single LP Fund
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest is Elaine Russell, who co-leads Greycroft's Albertsons Fund. Greycroft is one of the premier full lifecycle investors, investing out of ...
Yury Lifshits (Openland) - How to Build a Community, The Hard Pivot, and Minimizing Friction
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Yury Lifshits, founder and CEO of Openland. a modern social platform for communities. Yury is a serial entrepreunor, founding Zonas...
Bonus: Jordan Odinsky (Ground Up) - Cult Brands, Launch Strategies and the Importance of Celebrating The Failures
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is Jordan Odinsky, investor and head of platform at Ground Up Ventures. GroupUp is an early stage venture capital firm investing in pre...
Wayne Wu (VMG) – His Ecosystem Approach, How He Builds Community In CPG, and Advice for Founders Located in Secondary Markets
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Wayne Wu, General Partner at VMG. VMG focuses on investing and building iconic consumer brands. They've invested in some incred...
Maya Horgan Famodu (Ingressive Capital) - Investing in Sub-Saharan Africa, What She Looks For When Entering New Countries, How to Build Startup Ecosystems in Frontier Markets
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Soraya Darabi for the intro to our guest today Maya Horgan Famodu. Maya's the partner and founder of Ingressive Capital. Ingressive Capi...
Nate Cooper (Barrel Ventures): Lessons Learned from Founding Two Companies, The Beauty of Chicago and Investing in Markets that are Overlooked
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Nate Cooper, partner at Barrel Ventures. Barrel is seed stage fund based in the heart of the midwest. Some of their investments inc...
Sarah Kunst (Cleo Capital) - The Future of Work, Complicated Consumer and How to Have a Diverse Portfolio
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Soraya Darabi for the intro to today's guest Sarah Kunst, managing director of Cleo Capital. Cleo Capital is an an early stage VC fund f...
Sunny Dhillon (Signia Partners) - Grocery Store Technology, Why Beauty Brands Are Great To Invest In, and Changes in Retail
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Sunny Dhillon, one of the Managing Director of Signia Ventures. Signia invests at the seed & series A stages in great entrepren...
Hilary Quartner (Hilma) - Creating The "Clinical Herbal" Category, Her Fundraising Strategy, and The Decision Making Process with Two CEOs
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Hilary Quartner, one of the founders and Co-CEOs of Hilma. Hilma creates natural remedies for your medicine cabinet that are backed...
Alix Peabody (Bev) - From Producing Events to Founding a Wine Company, The Challenges When Raising Capital, and How She Thinks About Opportunities
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Fernando Gentil for the introduction to today's guest, Alix Peabody, CEO and founder of Bev. Bev is a wine company that is breaking down...
Office Hour 2. David Goldberg (Corigin Ventures)
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is part of a live recording Office Hour / AMA with David Goldberg.David Goldberg is a General Partner at Corigin Ventures. Corigin Vent...
Jiake Liu (Outer) - How Outer Became The Fastest Growing DNVB In The US, His Approach to Showrooms, and Why You Can't Rely On "Build It and They Will Come"
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I'd like to thank Adelle Archer for introducing me to today's guest, Jiake Lu, CEO of Outer. Outer is an extraordinary company that is reengin...
Dan Gluck (Powerplant) - The Opportunity He Saw After Reading "Born To Run" and His Inspiration Behind Investing in Plant Based Products
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Dan Gluck, Managing Partner of Powerplant Ventures a growth equity fund investing in emerging consumer food, beverage, and foodserv...
Alex Levitt (Yellow) - Inside Snap Inc.'s Launchpad for Startups, Building Products On Top of Social Platforms, and Her Diligence Process
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Alex Levitt, one of the heads of Yellow. Yellow is Snap Inc.'s ecosystem to serve companies at the intersection of creativity a...
Betsy Fore and Sofia Laurell (Tiny Organics) - Delivering The Healthiest Food to Babies, Approaching a Co-CEO Partnership, and Their Unique Way of Approaching Organic Growth
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Will McClelland for the introduction to today's guests Betsy Fore and Sofia Laurell, the co-founders and co-CEOs of Tiny Organics. Tiny ...
Mitch Hayes (Los Sundays) - Building a Tequila Brand for the Millennial, Focusing on Generating Demand, and a Taste of the Beverage Industry
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Joe Tonnos for the introduction to today's guest, Mitch Hayes, founder and CEO of Los Sundays Tequila. Los Sundays is the tequila for th...
Sasha Astafyeva (Atomico) - Growing a Real Estate Tech Company in Brazil, Series A Consumer Landscape in Europe, and How She Thinks About International Expansion
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Sasha Astafyeva, Partner at Atomico. Atomico invests in Europe’s most ambitious tech founders at Series A and beyond. Some of the...
Nick Mindel (Amberstone) - Differences Between Trends and Fads, The Opportunity He Saw Investing In Consumer Brands, Why He's Bullish On Founders Located In Secondary Markets
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Nick Mindel, Partner at Amberstone. Amberstone invests at the early stages in entrepreneurs building breakthrough consumer companie...
Ezra Galston (Starting Line) - Benefits of Chicago, Managed vs. Lightly Managed Marketplaces, and Consumer for the 99%
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Ezra Galston, Founding partner of Starting Line, a seed stage consumer tech focused fund based in Chicago. Previously he was a Prin...
Coulter Lewis (Sunday) - Introducing D2C & Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care, and Lessons From a Serial Entrepreneur
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Jordan Nof for introducing me to today's guest Coulter Lewis, founder and CEO of Sunday. Sunday provides nutrient and soil health plans ...
Adam Cohen-Aslatei (S'more) - Bringing Inclusivity and Honesty to Online Dating, and How He Successfully Fundraised
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Adam Cohen-Aslatei, founder and CEO of dating app S'More, the dating app that is built for relationships. Adam has had an exten...
Jesse Draper (Halogen) - Why Investing In Female Led Businesses is Such a Massive Opportunity, Los Angeles Consumer Tech Scene, and Consuming Meaningful Content
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Jesse Draper, Founding Partner of Halogen Ventures. Halogen Ventures is a Los Angeles, California based Venture Capital fund focuse...
Soraya Darabi (TMV) - The Care Economy, Where Change Needs to Start In VC, and How to Approach Market Sizing
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Soraya Darabi, General Partner at Trail Mix Ventures where she focuses on the future of living well. Previously, she worked at the ...
Meera Clark (Obvious Ventures) - How COVID led to a Crossroads in Healthy Habits, Milestones at Series A, and How She Thinks About Sustainability and Consumer Centric
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Sumeet Shah for the introduction to today's guest, Meera Clark, Senior Associate at Obvious Ventures. Obvious Ventures invests in startu...
Eric Paley (Founder Collective) - Why Most Successful Companies Struggle To Convince VCs of Their Market Size, The Biggest Risk After Finding Product-Market Fit, and Why Pro-Rata Only Benefits Investors, Not Founders
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I would like to thank Adelle Archer for introducing me to today's guest, Eric Paley, who is one of the Managing Partners at Founder Collective. Fo...
Office Hour 1. Jason Shuman (Primary Ventures) - Recorded Live June 9th
04 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
*Please note Office Hour episodes are not edited and the sound quality will not be as good as other episodes as they are recorded on one track.*Office...
Alex French (Bizzy Coffee) - The Cold Brew Competitive Landscape, Becoming #1 on Amazon, and Some of The Differences Raising from VCs and Family Offices
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Alex French, founder and CEO of Bizzy Coffee, the #1 seller of cold brew coffee on Amazon. We discuss Alex's initial approach t...
Pippa Lamb (Sweet Capital) - Why Consumer Habits Developed During COVID Are Here To Stay, 99% Execution & 1% Vision, and Defining A Founder's Unfair Advantage
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you Alex Pattis for the introduction to today's guest Pippa Lamb who is a partner at Sweet Capital. Sweet Capital in an early stage investme...
Compilation: Fundraising from the Founder Perspective
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a compilation episode about fundraising from the founders perspective. Some of their tactics, strategies when evaluating investors and how the...
Dan Graham (Springdale Ventures) - How He Scaled buildasign.com to over $100 million, The Opportunity He Saw Investing in CPG in Austin, and the Differences Analyzing DTC and Retail Brands
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I'd like to thank Adelle Archer for introducing me to today's guest Dan Graham, one of the co-founders and General partners of Springdale Vent...
Jessica Rolph and Roderick Morris (Lovevery) - Building Toys For Different Stages of a Child's Development, Advice When Co-Founding A Company, and Their Approach to Fundraising
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello and welcome to The Consumer VC. I am your host Mike Gelb and on this show we talk about the world of venture capital and consumer facing startup...
George Milton (Yellowbird Sauce) - Becoming The Hot Sauce Guy While Playing Gigs in Austin, Early Distribution Growing Pains, Getting into National Retail
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I'd like to thank Fernando Gentil for introducing me to today's guest, George Milton, co-founder and CEO of Yellowbird Sauce, Spicy condiments...
Tyler Handley (Inkbox) -Tattoos, Defining and New Market, and Why Stickiness Lies Within The Technology
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I'd like to thank Natalie Dillon for introducing me to today's guest Tyler Handley, co-founder and CEO of Inkbox, the tattoos for now. These a...
Kanyi Maqubela (Kindred Ventures) - Why There's Been an Explosion in Seed and Late Stage Funds, Diversity Amongst Investors & Market Risk, and Why he's interested in Learning Why Something Is Not Fundable
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have a few Office Hours / AMAs coming up -> https://theconsumervc.com/events/Kanyi Maqubela is a Managing Partner at Kindred Ventures. Kindred V...
Catharine Dockery (Vice Ventures) - Cannabis, Alcohol, Nicotine, Gambling and Everything Vice
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Catharine Dockery founder of Vice Ventures. Vice Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital fund conquering stigmas and striving towa...
Compilation: One Piece of Advice Investors Have for B2C Founders
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is my first compilation episode. I typically ask every guest what is one piece of advice he/she may have for B2C founders? I've pulled togeth...
Nadine Habayeb (Bohana) - The Future of Superfood Healthy Snacks, How Eastern Traditions Have Migrated West, and Finding Product-Market Fit
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Nadine Habayeb, CoFounder & CEO Bohana. Bohana is a popped water lily seed snack brand that believes in a free-spirited snackin...
Daniel Gulati (Comcast Ventures) - Execution vs. Network Type Business, How To Think About Winning a Category, and Evaluating Blue Ocean Opportunities
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Daniel Gulati. Daniel has spent the last 6 years at Comcast Ventures, a financially-focused venture capital firm with a 20 year his...
Byron Ling (Canaan) - Analyzing Teams, Why It Might Be Harder to Raise a Series A vs. Seed during COVID, and Why Distribution is as Important as Product
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you again Courtney Nelson for introducing me to our guest today, Byron Ling.Byron is a partner at Canaan. Canaan is an early-stage venture capit...
Claire Fauquier (Highland Capital Partners) - Purchase Behaviors of SMBs, Stretching Consumer and Sourcing at the Series A
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Claire Fauquier a Principal at Highland Capital Partners. Highland Capital Partners is one of the oldest venture capital funds that...
Anna Whiteman (Coefficient Capital) - Bold Marketing Using Non-Standardizing Channels, When a DNVB Should Think About Omnichannel, and Milestones for CPG Companies at Series A
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Whiteman, Vice President at Coefficient Capital. Coefficient Capital is a new venture capital fund that leads early growth investments in fast-mo...
Adelle Archer (Eterneva) - From Ashes To Diamonds, A New Way To Honor Loved Ones and Experience Innovation
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Adelle Archer is the founder of Eterneva, which celebrates remarkable lives by making diamonds from Ashes. Eterneva was featured on Shark Tank, in whi...
Bonus: Sasha Strauss (Innovation Protocol) - Brand Strategy, Not Making Brand Too Personal, and Importance of Positioning
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sasha Strauss is the founder and Managing Partner of Innovation Protocol, a full-service strategic brand consulting and design firm based in Los Angel...
Michael Duda (Bullish) - Why TAM Is Overrated, Empathize But Don't Listen, and DTC 3.0
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Duda is the Founder and one of the Managing Partners at Bullish.Bullish is a creative agency and a pre-seed fund, investing in early stage con...
Joe Tonnos (Ketch Ventures & Mistral Equity Partners) - Cricket Protein, Tequila and Investing in Sustainability
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Tonnos is a Principal at Mistral Equity Partners and a Co-Founder of Ketch Ventures. He invests across the consumer spectrum from seed/pre-series ...
Bonus: Arie Abecassis (ICONYC Labs) - The Board of Directors
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arie Abecassis, is the founder and partner of ICONYC Labs and was the chairman of the board at SeatGeek. ICONYC labs is a business and funding acceler...
Kate McAndrew (Bolt) - Distributed Teams, Fundraising Outside the Major Hubs, and Impact of COVID
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kate McAndrew (Bolt) - Distributed Teams, Fundraising Outside the Major Hubs, and Impact of COVID
Bonus: Brian Wang (Dashing Leadership) - Why A Founder Might Need A Coach and a Conversation About Curiosity, Judgement and Culture
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brian is an executive coach and owner of Dashing Leadership. He helps early-stage founders grow into more effective leaders. Previously he started and...
Bonus - Zac Dearing: Paycheck Protection Program
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the Paycheck Protection Program as it relates to venture backed small businesses. Zac Dearing is a J.D. Candidate at Harvard Law...
Rishi Garg (Mayfield) - Consumer Distrust, Curated Experiences, and What’s Next For Social Media
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Garg is a partner at Mayfield. Mayfield global venture capital firm with a people-first philosophy of investing. Mayfield invests primarily in e...
David Goldberg (Corigin Ventures) - The Sharing Economy, Consumerization of Enterprise Software, and Distribution
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
**This episode is brought to you by WeStock.io. WeStock streamlines the product request process and helps your brand get on retail shelves faster. Lea...
Natalie Dillon (Maveron) - Subcultures, Sustainability, and The Differences Between Gen Z & and Millennials
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
*Please note this episode was recorded back in January before the global pandemic.*Natalie Dillon is a Principal at Maveron. Maveron is a premier cons...
Kiva Dickinson (Selva Ventures) - Best Time To Start A Brand, Why First Mover is So Important in CPG, and Why VCs are Scared of Getting it Wrong
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
*This episode features two conversations I’ve had with Kiva*Kiva Dickinson is the managing partner at Selva Ventures. Selva Ventures invests in emer...
Madeline Keulen (Victress Capital) - Knowing Your Why, Analyzing Contrasting Trends, and Building Brands
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
*Please note that this episode was recorded before the coronavirus global pandemic*Madeline Keulen is Vice President at Victress Capital. Victress Cap...
Logan Langberg (Imaginary Ventures) - DTC 2.0, Multiple Channels of Distribution, and Paid vs. Organic Growth
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
*Please note that this episode was recorded before the coronavirus global pandemic*Logan Langberg is a Principal at Imaginary Ventures. Imaginary is a...
Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures) - The State of Seed Investing, The Early Stage Ecosystem, and Why Consumer Has Been Out Of Favor with VCs
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Hudson is the Managing Partner and Founder of Precursor Ventures. Precursor Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investi...
Bonus - Coronavirus: Feat. Robert Gelb (HeySummit) - How early stage investors are thinking about the current landscape?
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I reached out to all past investors that came on the show and future investors that will be coming on and asked them the following questions pertainin...
Laura Chau (Canaan) - The Five Pillars of Social Media, Moving Towards Status and the Power of Grit
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Chau is a Principal at Canaan. Canaan is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in visionaries with transformative ideas. Some of her ...
Ethan Austin (Techstars) - Punched in the Face with a Problem, Analyzing Teams and EQ
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ethan Austin is the Managing Director of Techstars Western Union Accelerator. Techstars Western Union Accelerator is the premier program for global st...
Lee Hower (NextView Ventures) - Making Good Decisions Fast, Going With Your Gut and Why Trust at the Early Stages Is Vital
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lee Hower is the Co-Founder and Partner of NextView Ventures. NextView is a high-conviction hands on seed-stage VC firm that invests in founders who a...
Bonus - Matt Hirst (West): Brand and Marketing - What is Brand?, How to Hire at the Early Stages, and Trusting Your Gut vs. Data Driven
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Hirst is the Managing Partner at West. West is a venture studio, a team of market and brand experts with investor discipline. Since 2011, West ha...
Elizabeth Yin (Hustle Fund) - Investing When There’s No Traction and How To Mitigate Risk When Founding
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Yin is a co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, a pre-seed fund for software entrepreneurs. One of Hustle Fund’s missions is to le...
Jason Shuman (Primary Ventures) - Payback Period, Market Timing, and The Importance of Distribution
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Shuman is a Principal at Primary Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm responsible for backing NYC's most promising founders. Some of thei...
Kate Boyle (Banjo Robinson) - Expanding Into Different Countries, Her Unfair Advantage, and Storytelling
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Boyle is the founder and CEO of Banjo Robinson. Banjo Robinson is a magical cat that writes personalized letters that turn reading, writing and l...
Gautam Gupta (M13) - The Thin Line Between Success and Failure, Board Construction, and Why He Offers Learnings, Not Advice
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Gautam Gupta is a Partner at M13 and founded and previously was the CEO of Naturebox. M13 is a venture fund headquartered in Los Angeles that has inve...
Tim Katt (TACK Ventures) - How Tech is Disrupting Sports, Media and Advice for Founders in Secondary Markets
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Katt is the managing partner and co-founder of TACK Ventures, TACK Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm based in Brooklyn and focused o...
Sophie Bakalar (fable & Collaborative Fund) - What is Market Expertise?, Conscious Consumerism, and How She Sensed An Opportunity
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie Bakalar is the founder of Fable, an e-commerce pet store help pets (and their humans) lead healthier, happier lives through better design. She ...
Sumeet Shah (Swiftarc Ventures) - 4th Generation of Retail, Periscope Founders and What is Wrong in VC
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sumeet Shah is the Portfolio Support Associate at Swiftarc Ventures. Swiftarc Ventures is an early- and growth-stage venture capital firm mainly focus...
Jason Stoffer (Maveron) - Mediocre Markets, Early Traction, and Knowing Your Weaknesses
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Stoffer is a General Partner at Maveron. Maveron is a premier consumer focused fund that invests in seed and Series A companies that empower con...
Jordan Nof (Tusk VP) - Regulated Industries, The Importance of Timing, and Good Growth vs. Bad Growth
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan Nof is a Managing Partner and the Head of Investments at Tusk Venture Partners, where he oversees all aspects of the firm’s venture capital i...
Eamonn Carey (Techstars) - Consumer Trends in Europe, Expanding to New Markets, and The Three Most Important Words in the English Language
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Eamonn Carey is the Managing Director at Techstars London. Techstars is a global seed accelerator and worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succe...
Greg Bettinelli (Upfront Ventures) - #longla, Why Los Angeles Has Become a Hub of Consumer Innovation, and finding Product-Market Fit & Founder-Market Fit
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Greg Bettinelli is a partner at Upfront Ventures. Upfront Ventures is a Los Angeles early-stage venture capital fund has been integral to the LA emerg...
Paul Martino (Bullpen Capital) - What it Means to be a Contrarian Investor, The Arbitrage Opportunity at Post Seed, and Founders That Have Chips On Their Shoulders
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Paul Martino, Managing Partner of Bullpen Capital, an early-stage, post-seed venture fund investing in technology companies that ha...
Anna Barber (Techstars) - What makes the Los Angeles Tech Ecosystem So Special, Breakdown of Techstars Accelerator Program, Tips on How to Reach Out to Investors
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Barber is the Managing Director of Techstars - Los Angeles. Techstars is a global seed accelerator and worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs...
Mike Ghaffary (Canvas Ventures) - How to Evaluate Online Marketplaces, Why This is a Contrarian time to Invest in Consumer
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Ghaffary is a General Partner at Canvas Ventures, one of the premier thesis-driven early-stage venture capital funds in San Francisco that invest...
Leah Solivan (Fuel Capital) - The Importance of Passion, When a Company Should Have Product-Market Fit, and What Founders Should Pay Attention To In Their Pitch Decks
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leah Solivan is General Partner at Fuel Capital, an early-stage venture fund focused on consumer, SaaS, and cloud infrastructure companies dedicated t...
Will McClelland (Elizabeth Street) - The Changing of Retail on High Streets, How to Analyze Competitive Advantages, ROI on Consumer Companies
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Will McClelland is the Co-founder and Partner of Elizabeth Street Ventures, an early stage investment firm focused on the digital consumer and next ge...
Mike Duboe (Greylock) - Learnings as Head of Growth at Stitch Fix & Tilt, The Importance of Saying No, and Analyzing Health of Acquisition
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Duboe joined Greylock Partners in 2018 and leads investments in commerce, marketplaces, and consumer more broadly. Previously, he led growth at S...
David Wu (Maveron) - The Reinvention of Entertainment, The Founder Scorecard, and the Lessons Learned From Building a Houseboat and Cruising Down the Mississippi
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
David Wu is a Partner at Maveron. Maveron is a premier consumer-focused fund that invests in seed and Series A companies that empower consumers to liv...
Rick Heitzmann (FirstMark Capital) - The Future of Marketplaces, Why investing in B2C companies is different to B2B companies, Investing in Secondary and Tertiary Markets
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Heitzmann is a founder and partner of FirstMark Capital and focuses on consumer and enterprise investments. Rick has led investments in market le...
Susan Lyne (BBG Ventures) - Why Investing in Women Founders is Still an Untapped Market
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Lyne is the co-founder and Managing Partner of BBG Ventures, a fund that invests in visionary entrepreneurs building the next generation of mark...
Caitlin Strandberg (Lerer Hippeau) - How To Identify Consumer Pain Points, The D2C Investment Landscape, and The New York Ecosystem
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Caitlin Strandberg is a Principal at Lerer Hippeau, the most active early-stage venture capital fund in New York. The firm has more than 250 active po...
Ajay Kamat (Pear VC) - Clarity of Thought, Future of Audio, and Today's Investing Landscape
26 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ajay Kamat is a Partner at Pear, one of the premier early stage venture capital funds in Silicon Valley. Prior to Pear, Ajay founded Wedding Party, wh...
Amit Mukherjee (NEA) - The Gen Z Consumer, How to Evaluate Two Different Competing Companies
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Amit Mukherjee is a Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), one of the premier and global venture capital firms that invests in all stages. Amit f...
Nicole Quinn (Lightspeed Venture Partners) - Future of Media, Investing in Women, and Thinking Big
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nicole Quinn is a partner and investor at Lightspeed Venture Capital, a venture capital firm that is engaged in the consumer, enterprise, technology, ...