All Episodes
Mercedes Bent (Lightspeed) - Future of EdTech, Evolution of Investment Products and Importance of Customer Success
March 4, 2021
My guest today is Mercedes Bent , who is a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners and is on their consumer investing team. Lightspeed Venture Partners's mission is to serve the world’s most extraordinary people who are building tomorrow’s companies today. Some of her portfolio includes Forage, Stor…
Hugh Thomas (Ugly) - The Opportunity He Saw With Sparkling Water, Why He Started OmniChannel, and Approach to Overseas Expansion
March 2, 2021
Our guest today is Hugh Thomas , founder of Ugly . Ugly is the refreshingly honest sparkling water in a can. No sugar, no calories, no sodium, no sweetners. We discuss his background and how working at Vita Coco impacted him to found Ugly, why he went retail on day one, and his expansion strategy a…
Tyler Morgan (BFG Partners): How His Passion for Health & Wellness Led Him Into CPG, Changes During COVID, and The Evolution of BFG
Feb. 18, 2021
My guest today is Tyler Morgan , Vice President at BFG Partners . BFG Partners invests in entrepreneurs that build exceptional businesses in the better-for-you food, beverage, and consumer products space. Some of their investments include Olipop, Quinn Snacks, and Bear Naked. I really enjoyed my ti…
Deborah Benton (Willow Growth Partners) - The Need to Focus on Profitability from Day One, Why Raising Lots of Money Doesn't Mean Success, and Her Investment Philosophy at Willow Growth
Feb. 16, 2021
Thank you Sunny Dhillon for the introduction to today's guest, Deborah Benton . Deb is the founder and general partner of Willow Growth Partners . Willow provides early growth capital to entrepreneurs building the next generation of transformative consumer brands and the disruptive technologies tha…
Brendan Rogers (Wag! and 2 a.m.) - Founding Wag!, Scaling by Doing Unscalable Things, and Investment Opportunities in India
Feb. 11, 2021
My guest today is Brendan Rogers , one of the co-founders of Wag! and 2 a.m . Wag! is #1 app for pet parents and the leading on-demand dog walking platform. 2 a.m is a venture fund, investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs in India. We discuss the insight that led to the founding of Wag!, …
Amanda Groves (PLUS Capital) - The Power of Celebrity, The Most Unlikely Partnership, and Managing an Advisory Practice with a VC Fund
Feb. 9, 2021
Thank you Sita for the intro to our guest today, Amanda Groves , one of the partners at PLUS Capital . PLUS Capital is an advisement and venture fund trusted by elite artists and athletes to invest in and build transformative companies. We talk about how to think about analyzing true value from cel…
Beatriz Acevedo (SUMA) - Why Personal Finance, How Content Can Build Community and Educate, and Creating Products Serving the Latinx Community
Feb. 4, 2021
Thank you Samara Hernandez to our guest today, Beatriz Acevedo , CEO and co-founder of SUMA Wealth. SUMA is a revolutionary financial wellness company with the mission to engage, educate, and empower the Latinx community via a holistic approach of Digital Media, Experiences, and FinTech. Previously…
Rick Desai (Listen) - What Makes a Compelling Brand, Why He Loves Patagonia, and His Approach to Investing in Consumer Products
Feb. 2, 2021
Thank you Samara Hernandez for introducing me to our guest today, Rick Desai , one of the Partners at Listen . Listen is a consumer venture capital fund that backs and builds the brand of tomorrow. Some of their investments include Calm, Factor and Public Goods. Rick is also the founder of Dashfire…
Announcement: The Consumer VC Summit: eCommerce. Retail. Innovation. February 23-25
Feb. 1, 2021
The Consumer VC Summit: February 23-25
Steven Wolfe Pereira (Encantos) - Teaching Kids 21st Century Skills, Building a Direct to Learner EdTech Company, and Overlooked Opportunities That Make Real Impact
Jan. 28, 2021
Thank you Samara Hernandez for introducing me to today's guest, Steven Wolfe Pereira , co-founder and CEO of Encantos , an award-winning edtech company that believes kids learn best through play while teaching kids 21st century life skills. We discuss some of the learnings of working at technology …
Jeff Housenbold (Softbank) - Approach to Risk with $100B AUM, Identifying Markets That Are Ripe for Disruption, and Assessing Value Chains
Jan. 26, 2021
My guest today is Jeff Housenbold , Managing Partner of Softbank's Vision Fund , the world's largest technology-focused venture capital fund, with over $100 billion in capital.
Michael Nogen (Overton VC) - Founding Theality Maternity Wear, Learnings Working at Gap and How He Thinks about Innovation
Jan. 21, 2021
Thank you Joe Tonnos for the introduction to today's guest, Michael Nogen , one of the founding partners of Overton VC . Overton Venture Capital invests in early stage companies (Pre Series A) who demonstrate early success through revenue and market validation. Some of their portfolio includes Perc…
Andrew Goletka & Franklin Isacson (Coefficient Capital) - Behaviors that changed forever in 2020, Investing in CPG at the Series A, and when to go into retail
Jan. 19, 2021
My guests today are Franklin Isacson & Andrew Goletka , Founders and Managing Partners of Coefficient Capital . Coefficient partners with entrepreneurs to build brands, tell stories and engage consumers across the digital and physical worlds, typically at the series A. Some of their investments inc…
Lucy Deland (Inspired Capital) - Founding Paperless Post, How Design Became Critical To Software, and Why She's A Generalist Investor
Jan. 14, 2021
My guest today is Lucy Deland , Partner at Inspired Capital , who back early-stage founders with transformative ideas, brilliant teams, and relentless determination. Some of her investments include Geneva, Habi and Dandy.
Brian Requarth (Latitud + Viva Real) - Building an Online Real Estate Marketplace in Latin America, Raising Money Without a Network, and Solving Supply vs. Demand
Jan. 12, 2021
Thank you Sasha Astafiva for the introduction to my guest today, Brian Requarth , co-founder and former CEO of Viva Real . Viva Real is the online real estate marketplace in Latin America. He is also the founder of Latitud , helping build the next generation of iconic tech startups in Latin America.
Sapna Shah (Red Giraffe) - Future of Retail, Drop Shipping, and Small World, Long Life
Jan. 7, 2021
Thank you Joseph Sartre for the introduction to today's guest Sapna Shah , founder of Red Giraffe . Red Giraffe makes pre-seed investments in start-ups in the retail industry, including retail tech, marketplaces, brands and consumer sectors. Select current investments include: The Wing, FINDMINE, R…
Holiday Highlights: Ezra Galston, Founding Partner of Starting Line
Jan. 5, 2021
This episode are highlights from my conversation with Ezra Galston.
Holiday Highlights: Natalie Dillon, Principal at Maveron
Jan. 4, 2021
This episode are highlights from my conversation with Natalie Dillon.