Trailblazers by Erica Wenger

This week, we chat with Nikhil Basu Trivedi! Nikhil is Co-Founder & General Partner at Footwork, an early-stage focused venture firm in San Francisco. Footwork leads Seed and Series A rounds in companies with early signs of product-market fit, across both consumer technology and the consumerization of enterprise technology. The firm was founded in 2021 and is investing its second fund, with $4...

This week, we chat with Jeffrey Bussgang! Jeff has spent his career at the intersection of startup experimentation and transformative technology. For over a decade, he has taught one of Harvard Business School’s most popular entrepreneurship courses, Launching Tech Ventures, where he's helped thousands of founders build and scale successful companies.  As co-founder of Flybridge Capital Partne...

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital! In this week’s solo episode, host Erica Wenger dives into Starting a VC Fund 101, breaking down the real reasons why you might want to start a fund, what it actually takes to launch one, and the lessons she’s learned from being in the trenches herself. From structuring your first fund to navigating LP conversations and finding your unique edge,...

Ankur is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Carry, a modern platform helping business owners build durable wealth through smarter tax strategies and long-term financial systems. He’s also the founder of Vibe Capital, a $100M venture fund backing bold founders across the U.S., India, and beyond, and the creator of Silly Money, a fast-growing newsletter and community helping people...

This week, we chat with Amber Atherton! Amber is a British entrepreneur and investor based in San Francisco. She’s a Partner at Patron, an early-stage venture capital firm shaping the future of gaming and online communities, and the Founder of The Atherton Award, which honors young women pursuing careers in STEM and entrepreneurship. A lifelong builder, Amber began coding as a kid in Hong Kong bef...

This week, we chat with Des Traynor! Des is the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Intercom, the company behind Fin.ai, and he also sits on Intercom’s board of directors. Over the years, Des has led teams across Product, Marketing, Customer Support, and Content, playing a key role in shaping Intercom into one of the most influential customer communication platforms in the world. Today, he ov...

This week, we chat with Amanda Goetz! Amanda Goetz is a 2x Founder, CEO and 4x CMO. She is an inspirational writer and content creator captivating millions of people every month through her social insights and newsletter “Life’s a Game”.  Amanda graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and went on to lead marketing teams at Ernst & Young, The Knot and still...

This week, we chat with Rex Woodbury! Rex is the Founder and Managing Partner of Daybreak, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York. Daybreak is a first-check firm built on the belief that the companies shaping the future will be those improving the lives of the next generation. Before starting Daybreak, Rex was a Partner at Index Ventures, where he invested in consumer technology and...

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital! In this week’s solo episode, host Erica Wenger shares her hot takes on venture capital the unspoken takes that many in the industry quietly know but rarely say out loud. From fundraising dynamics to investor-founder relationships, Erica unpacks the realities that shape how VC really works behind the scenes beyond the headlines and polished pitc...

This week, we chat with  Avni Barman! Avni is the CEO and Founder of Gen She, a media company and fund empowering a community of over 700,000 women across Instagram, TikTok, a newsletter, a podcast, and a job board. Through Gen She, Avni writes $50K–$100K checks into ventures that directly help their audience rise to the top 1%, driving real impact for the next generation of women leaders. Before...

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital! In this week’s solo episode, host Erica Wenger dives into why every founder should have a manifesto a clear, written declaration of what they stand for and where they’re headed. Erica breaks down three key benefits of writing one and walks you through five actionable steps to get started. She also makes a compelling case for the power of though...

This week, we chat with Maya Bakhai! Maya Bakhai is the founder of Spice Capital, a first-yes fund investing at pre-seed and seed. Maya's Fund II is a $25M Fund that will invest in ~40 companies with check sizes ranging from $250k-$750k. Spice Capital has over 50 companies in the portfolio including Beehiiv, MUBI, Prosper Health, Hype, Skej, and more. In the last 8 years, Maya has backed 100+...

This week, we chat with Katie Stanton ! Katie is the Founder and General Partner of Moxxie Ventures.  Katie is an investor, operator, board member, and proud mom of three kids and two “poorly-trained” dogs. She has built her career leading teams at Yahoo, Google, Twitter, and Color, and also served in the Obama White House and Clinton State Department. As Founder and Managing Partner of Moxxie Ven...

This week, we chat with Ali Kriegsman! Ali is a writer, entrepreneur, and business strategist whose work lives at the intersection of brand building, storytelling, and sales. At just 24, she co-founded Bulletin, a retail technology company that reimagined how premium brands and retailers connect. Bulletin went on to be acquired by Emerald [NYSE:EEX], the largest B2B events company in the United St...

Welcome to the very first episode of Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital ! In our very first episode, our host, Erica Wenger sets the stage for what’s ahead redefining what it means to be a trailblazer and introducing the bold, unconventional voices you’ll hear on this show. This is the starting point for conversations with contrarian tech leaders who challenge the norm, break barriers, and build...

This week, our host Erica Wenger wraps up an incredible Season 4 of Dear Twentysomething ! 🎉 Join us as we reflect on some of the most memorable guests and standout moments from the season. Erica shares her takeaways, favorite conversations, and the wisdom we’ve gathered along the way. Plus, a sneak peek at what’s in store for Season 5! Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or just disc...

This week, we chat with Melanie Strong! Mel started her career as a first grade teacher and journalist. A fateful interview with her running hero Joan Benoit Samuelson led to a long-shot interview for an entry level job at Nike. She spent 17 years there, where she led several businesses including Nike Women and Nike Skateboarding, and worked on the launch of the Nike Running and Training Club apps...

This week, we chat with Lauren Berson-Sugarman! Lauren Berson is an executive turned entrepreneur with 20 years of experience building brands, products, and communities across a diverse set of industries. Lauren is the founder and CEO of Conceive, a digital health platform aiming to change fertility outcomes and experiences through community, evidence-based education, and coaching. Her focus on th...

This week, our host, Erica Wenger, shares practical and honest advice on how to navigate your career in your 20s—drawing from her own journey through college, her first job, working in VC, podcast hosting, and more! In this episode, Erica breaks down the big things that helped her build momentum early in her career—from actively absorbing information to putting herself in rooms with the right peop...

This week, we chat with Courtney Powell! Courtney is COO and Managing Partner at 500 Global, tasked with helping the firm scale globally and explore new opportunities across markets. She is responsible for operations across the team to pursue 500 Global’s mission of uplifting people and economies through entrepreneurship. She is also on the advisory council of Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rah...

This week, we chat with TJ Taylor! TJ has spent over a decade as an early stage consumer operator—most recently Employee #1 at Raya and founding team member at Dispo. His areas of focus has been GTM and Growth (product, marketing, and community led). Currently, he is running consultancy and advisory company for consumer startups. Additionally, he’s serving as a Venture Scout for the consumer team...

This week, our host, Erica Wenger, shares a number of practical and unconventional tips on how to fundraise effectively as an early-stage founder! In this episode, Erica breaks down the fundraising process beyond the typical advice, offering insights on how to approach investors, craft a compelling narrative, and stand out in a crowded market. She challenges common misconceptions about fundraising...

This week, we chat with Siqi Chen! Siqi is the founder and CEO of Runway, a next generation FP&A platform that makes finance actually understandable and accessible to the entire team. As an operator and founder, he served as the CEO of Sandbox VR (a16z), VP of Product and Growth at Postmates (later acquired by Uber), CEO of Hey, Inc (Google-funded, acquired by Postmates), Head of Product at Zy...

This week, we chat with Troy Osinoff! Troy is the Co-founder of JUICE, a digital marketing agency credited by Facebook as being a top 1% agency with clients such as L’Oreal, Super Coffee, Solidcore & Bartstool Sports. Prior to JUICE, Troy helped a bankrupt shoe company reach profitability, grew a Grammy-winning recording studio, created a viral media site called Make A Dare (featured on Dr. Ph...

This week our host, Erica Wenger, chats about her most recent essay: Getting Off The Alphabet Train! On this episode Erica dives into her newest essay which challenges the traditional VC funding model. Getting off the Alphabet Train explores the shift away from traditional VC funding, where startups chase valuations through seed and Series rounds. Instead, a new wave of “elephant” companies is pri...