The Dart Board with Daniel Dart

Meet Mike Miller, co-founder of Liquid 2 Ventures. In this episode, we explore his journey from being a nuclear physicist to a successful entrepreneur and investor. We dig into why so much VC dogma isn't rooted in fact, and how Liquid 2 has forged it's own path - one that many new funds are copying. He shares how sometimes the worst things you go through can end up being the best thing, and how fo...

Meet John Mannes, Partner at Basis Set, one of the original AI-native venture funds. In this episode, he shares what he learned growing up in DC and how it applies to Silicon Valley, the importance of understanding founder psychology, and the impact of how growing up can shape the entrepreneurial mindset. He shares how he stays ahead of the technology curve and how, rather than being sector-focuse...

Meet Mario Schlosser, co-founder and CTO of the publicly traded health insurance company, Oscar Health (OSCR:NYSE). In this conversation, Mario shares the personal story that led to the founding of Oscar Health, discussing the challenges and triumphs of navigating the healthcare industry, and the imminent impact of technology and AI on all aspects of health and treatment. From his transition from...

Meet Greg Lippmann. In this episode, we dig into his journey from public schools, working at summer camps, to his first day on a trading floor, and when he knew the 'Big Short' was actually going to break his way. From a challenging start in finance to becoming a prominent figure in the industry, to launching his firm LibreMax, which now manages north of $12 billion. He discusses his time...

Meet Songyee Yoon, one of the most inspiring tech leaders and investors around today. In this conversation, she shares her remarkable journey from growing up in Korea to getting her PhD in computational neuroscience at MIT to becoming the President and Chief Strategy Officer at NCSoft, one of the world's biggest gaming companies. She discusses her transition from academia to industry, the evol...

Meet Barry Ritholtz, the founder, chairman, and CIO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, as well as a long-time contributor at Bloomberg Media. In this episode, he shares his journey from a trading desk to establishing a successful wealth management firm. He discusses his new book, 'How Not to Invest,' which explores the pitfalls of investing and the importance of understanding behavioral financ...

Meet Ron Biscardi, founder and CEO of iConnections - a platform that connects and convenes asset owners and managers that collectively control over $50 trillion in AUM. In this episode, we discuss Ron's journey from engineering to entrepreneurship and the lessons it taught him about taking action, as well as the evolution of iConnections as a capital introduction platform that was initially bu...

Meet Stacey Gerber, partner at Sequoia Capital, where she leads operations and experiences. In the episode, we delve into the distinctive role of operations in venture capital, the significance of community, and the value of being prepared for both the big and little things. Stacey shares insights on creating meaningful connections, the concept of a 'through line' for all experiences, and...

Meet Jon Bradford, Managing Partner of Dynamo Ventures, a leading supply chain-focused seed stage venture capital fund based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In this conversation, we discuss his journey from accountant to “The Godfather of European Accelerators”, how access to information makes now a great time to be a founder, and why the best salespeople come from Utah. We also discuss scaling teams,...

Meet Chris Farmer, founder & CEO of SignalFire, a data-driven venture capital firm using its proprietary AI platform to support early-stage startups across sectors like AI/ML, SaaS, fintech, and healthcare. In this conversation, we discuss his journey to VC, SignalFire’s rise to now managing approximately $3 billion in AUM, and how the firm leverages data and AI to track 80 million opportuniti...

Meet Henry Ward, CEO & co-founder at Carta, a platform that connects founders, investors, and LPs, helping over 40,000 companies in 160+ countries manage cap tables, valuations, equity, compensation, and more. In this conversation, we talk about how he ‘fell in love’ with being a founder, how he grew Carta from a simple cap table tool into a one-stop shop for private market companies and funds...

Meet Nolan Bean, chief investment officer at FEG Investment Advisors, an investment advisory firm managing and advising on more than $90 billion in assets on behalf of foundations, endowments, healthcare, systems, and other institutional investors. In this conversation, we discuss his 20-year journey from associate to CIO at FEG, how baseball informs his investment process, and tactical advice for...

Meet Leo Polovets, co-founder and general partner at Humba Ventures and Susa Ventures, sister funds focusing on deep tech and generalist tech seed companies, respectively. In this conversation, we discuss his life and career, Susa’s journey from $25M fund 1 to $1B in AUM, the factors driving a deep tech golden age, and how emerging managers can build strong brands, co-investor networks, and rappor...

Meet Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner at SkyBridge Capital, a global alternative investments firm with more than $2 billion in AUM, specializing in financial technology, digital assets, venture capital and multi-manager solutions. In this conversation, we discuss his upbringing and early career, his battles with Trump, his philosophy on networking and resilience, and his hopes and...

Meet John Arnold, founder & co-chair at Arnold Ventures, a leading foundation using an evidence-based approach to create systemic change, improve the lives of American families, strengthen communities, and promote economic opportunity in education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance. In this conversation, we explore John’s early life, his time at Enron, the founding a...

Hadley Harris, co-founder and general Partner at Eniac Ventures shares how he scaled the firm from a $1.6M fund 1 to over $800M in AUM. We discuss portfolio construction, LP relationships, investment decision-making, and the importance of playing to your strengths as a VC. This is a must-listen for emerging managers and investors.

In this episode, we are joined by Daniel Yanisse, co-founder and CEO of Checkr, the world’s largest background check company. We dive into Checkr’s early days, scaling challenges, hiring lessons, and what founders should look for in investors. Daniel also shares his journey as an immigrant entrepreneur, the most challenging moments of his career, and his take on AI’s future in tech.

Meet Joe Kaiser, the CEO of Mercato Partners, a growth stage firm investing more than $1B in America's heartland. In this conversation we discuss his career, Mercato's differentiated thesis, leadership and team building. In this episode, Daniel and Joe discuss Joe's Journey from small town to the leading role at Mercato Partners, the investment case for the American Heartland, how people can glean...

Meet Jim Bethea, the CIO of the University of Iowa. An Ohio native who went from a tire factory floor to heading one of the highest-performing endowments in the game. In this conversation, we discuss his background, views on portfolio and liquidity risk, practical advice for emerging managers when approaching allocators, and more!

Meet Kevin Novak, founder and general partner of Rackhouse Venture Capital, an AI-native early-stage venture firm. From Michigan and a path to becoming a professor to leaving everything to join a 'cab company' in Silicon Valley, we talk about what it was like to be the first data scientist at Uber - and how he got fired from leading the team while on vacation, and how it was a blessing in...