Trailblazers by Erica Wenger

This week we chat with Annie Reardon!  Annie Reardon is co-founder and co-CEO of Ludo and leads marketing and sales for the company. Annie is a front-end engineer and has been building in the infrastructure and big data space for three years. Fascinated by technological infrastructure and future applications of blockchain, Annie is also passionate about making emerging technology more accessible,...

This week our host, Erica Wenger, chats about her most recent essay: Elephant DNA! On this episode Erica dives into the formula to know if your company has "elephant DNA". She goes through the concept of Elephant startups characterized by their transformation of customers into members and the cultivation of communities, examining the primary drivers of these companies, particularly their c...

Tara Bosch made Canadian history by scaling her company to be the fastest growing CPG brand founded by a solo female founder...ever.  When a love affair with candy devolved into an unhealthy relationship with food, Tara became inspired by a conversation with her grandmother about the detrimental effects of sugar. She soon dropped out of college to fulfill her dream: to create the future of candy. ...

This week we chat with Niven McCall-Mazza!  Niven McCall-Mazza is Editor-in-Chief of theSkimm, overseeing its news, money, wellness, audio, and video teams. Under her leadership, theSkimm has helped its 12 million+ audience stay up-to-date on current events, focusing on how they specifically affect women's lives, health, and financial security. She has scaled the company's editorial team a...

This week we chat with Kimmy Scotti!  Kimmy Scotti is co-founder and CEO of skincare company Fig.1, and founding partner at venture capital fund, 8VC. As an investor, serial entrepreneur and mother of twin boys, Kimmy’s endeavors are multifaceted. As a founding partner at 8VC, a technology and life sciences investment firm, Kimmy invests in category-disrupting brands at the intersection of healthc...

As a Halloween special for this week, our host, Erica Wenger talks about the unsettling myths surrounding fundraising and venture capital. On this episode Erica shares her 2 cents on what people get wrong about fundraising and Venture Capital. Erica delves into the common misconceptions that often mislead aspiring entrepreneurs and offers valuable insights to demystify the world of fundraising, an...

This week we chat with the one of a kind, B. Pagels-Minor! Erica and B know each other as solo GPs in the early stage venture capital world. In this episode, B shares how they've navigated various industries (including the world of venture as of recently), especially as a non-binary person of color. B has an amazing story, and we were so honored to have them on the pod! B. is an award-winning...

This week we chat with Mike Jones!  Mike is co-founder and managing director of Science, a Los Angeles-based multi-asset investment firm partnering with and investing in disruptive consumer technology companies in traditional venture equity and blockchain investments. As a serial entrepreneur, Mike has built, invested in and been on the board of consumer tech companies like Dollar Shave Club, Liqu...

This week we’re talking all things  angel investing  with the enthusiastic & knowledgable, Brian Nichols. In this  explained  episode, Erica and Brian chat through what exactly angel investing is, who can be an angel investor, how to get deal flow, how to evaluate startups once you get that deal flow, and so much more. Most importantly, Brian shares his story as an angel investor and why/how h...

This week we’re talking all things community design  with the expert on all things community, Gina Bianchini. In this  explained  episode, Erica and Gina chat through the founding story of Mighty Networks (Gina's company), her community design framework, the difference between a community and an audience, and so much more. Gina gives a masterclass on how to build a scalable, self-sustaining co...

This week we’re talking  the membership economy  with the knowledgable expert, Robbie Kellman Baxter. In this  explained  episode, Erica and Robbie chat through what exactly the membership economy is, why Robbie thinks those companies are best set up for success in the coming decade, and how Robbie coins terminology that the industry adopts. She has a fascinating path starting off in consulting an...

This week we chat with Lee Anne Grant!  Lee Anne has been an executive at various consumer companies and has launched numerous new products and businesses in her career. She’s passionate about helping companies grow revenue in a profitable, thoughtful, and aggressive way. Currently, Lee Anne Grant manages the sales and marketing team at Babylist, the leading vertical marketplace and commerce desti...

This week we’re talking  fundraising  with the enthusiastic storytelling expert, Robbie Crabtree. In this  explained  episode, Erica and Robbie chat through Robbie's fascinating story and his advice for founders who plan to or are actively fundraising. He gives away a lot of his proprietary tips in this episode that he normally reserves just for his clients. If you are a founder or VC raising...

This week our host, Erica Wenger, chats about one of the questions she gets asked most often... how to break into venture capital? On this episode Erica talks through why someone would want to break into the industry, what types of people would thrive and in what roles (hint: pretty much anyone can find their place!), and my miscellaneous tips for someone who has that as a future goal. I share the...

This week we chat with fellow twin, Ali Partovi!  Ali Partovi is CEO of Neo, a diverse community of tech veterans coming together to invest in the leaders of tomorrow. Neo identifies awesome undergrads, connects them with other community members, and invests in companies they start or join. Ali was born in Tehran and lived through the Iran-Iraq war. He studied CS at Harvard. His first startup, Lin...

This week we’re talking  egg freezing  with the extremely inspiring Lauren Makler.  Lauren Makler is the Co-founder and CEO of Cofertility . Her winding road of a fertility journey led her to believe that everyone should have the opportunity to freeze their eggs –and that the egg donation experience should be made more positive and human-centered for everyone involved. Lauren also founded Uber Hea...

This week we chat about why our host, Erica Wenger, decided to move from LA to NYC ! It's a tough decision to leave comfort (family, friends, amazing apartment, great weather), but after lots of consideration, it was time to make the leap. The tech scene in NYC these days is buzzing and for those of you looking to be in the heart of the energy, a move may be in store. On this episode Erica tal...

This week we’re talking  all things public relations for founders & VCs  with the knowledgable Jenna Birch.  Jenna Birch  is the founder of Sisu Brand & PR, a communications consultancy serving both venture capital firms and startups. She has previously worked as the VP, Narrative & Communications at  NFX , as well as the Head of Content & Communications at  Forerunner , crafting i...

This week we chat with  Miri Buckland !  In this episode, Miri and Erica talk about how they each define creativity and how Miri's business, Landing, was created to help members find their inner creative voice. She shares the origin stories of the business (originally was targeting interior designers!) and what it's been like to scale their community and uncover trends before the rest of t...

This week we chat about the investing thesis that our host, Erica Wenger, has crafted for her venture fund! She's backing the next generation of elephant companies (not unicorns) and she walks explains the thesis here in her foundational essay. She shares why every VC (and even founder too!) should craft a thoughtful long-form foundational essay with a unique, clear point of view. It's not...

This week we chat with  Christie Pitts !  In this episode, Christie and Erica talk about the maternal health crisis that's facing the United States and is significantly worse among POC. Christie has taken this passion and kickstarted an ops role at the startup Mahmee and co-founded VCs for Repro to build a coalition of VCs who are united to support access to abortion. She's a wealth of kno...

This week we chat with  Steph Mui !  In this episode, Steph and Erica talk about how Steph was an inventor/entrepreneur from a VERY early age (shoutout to her school system for encouraging it!) and why she accidentally fell into being a founder after starting a community-based fund at business school. She has an amazing story and she's just getting started! Steph is the founder of PIN (Power i...

This week we chat with Robbie Shattuck !  Robbie Shattuck is the Founder & CEO of ATHOS Private Wealth, a multi-family office and premier financial services community for innovative venture-backed early-stage founders. ATHOS guides entrepreneurs and venture investors through the multiple stages of building their family offices by advising on estate planning, financial management, and other per...

This week we chat with Dr. Catherine Chang !  Dr. Catherine Chang, a board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and craniofacial specialist, takes an uncommon approach to cosmetic surgery, combining artistry with technical expertise to produce the most natural, harmonious results. In her private practice at Privé Beverly Hills , Dr. Chang describes her work as “surgery that doesn’t...

This week we chat all things CRMs (aka customer relationship management platforms), with our host, Erica Wenger! It's hard to keep track of your personal and business contacts when you're meeting so many new people all the time. That's where a CRM comes in handy! You can keep track of all contacts with detailed notes, to do items, and all synced up with email, calendars, social platfor...