Women in Venture Capital

In this episode, Anvita and Rashveena look back on the 4+ years and 100+ episodes of the Women in Venture Capital podcast, sharing highlights, learnings and more. 

In this conversation with Lisa, we hear about her journey as a CEO in Residence at Primary VC and what she is most excited about the new trends in the startup ecosystem - the AI wave, climate-tech and east-coast startups scene in the US. We also talk about her role at General Assembly as their CEO, expanding reach and impact. 

Akriti is a Partner at Ridge Ventures, focusing on early-stage investments in enterprise technology companies. With a background in computer science and product management, she brings valuable insights to her role as an investor and board member. Akriti has led investments in various sectors, including AI, fintech, and SaaS, demonstrating her expertise in identifying promising startups. Her experi...

In this conversation with Meera, we chat about how she joined AV, drawing from her endowment experiences and the fund's innovative investment strategy (exclusively co-investors). We also hear Meera's take on recent trends in the VC industry, including how AI has unlocked new capabilities in vertical SaaS. Lastly, we discuss about the current state of the investing ecosystem when it comes...

In this episode with Barbara, we talk to her about her diverse experiences in the investment ecosystem across Africa, USA, Dubai; and how that shaped her investment philosophies. We also talk about how she got to starting her own fund in the Web3 space and what excites her about the opportunities there.

In this conversation with Emily, we touched on the experiences that shaped her move to and career in venture capital, including the rapid transformation in areas like Fintech. Emily shares more about strategies that helped her manage transitions within VC and trends she's excited about at Primary including innovations in payments and capital markets. Finally, Emily touches on bridging the gen...

In this episode, we talk to Katelyn and Vicki from UP.Labs about the venture lab model in the mobility space. We talk to the team about building startups alongside corporate partners and drawing on their past experiences as operators. Finally we touch on making the move to venture labs, especially in mobility, and some advice for women looking to break into the tech, transportation, and venture la...

In this episode, with Zabreen, we chat about her career transitions from operator roles to investing, and her current stint with Phenomenal Ventures. We also speak about her non-profit, HerCapital, that aims to empower women to invest in their future. Lastly, we hear Zabreen's thoughts on working towards diversity and advice for women looking to break into the VC ecosystem.

In this episode, Julia walks us her through her decision to join investing early in her career, leaving to start a company before heading back to Pari Passu. Julia shares more about her decision to start a fund instead of joining one, the newly launched 'PariPassu' app and the firm's strategy. Finally, we end with some thoughts around gender dynamics in check writing roles and some...

In our conversation with Katelin, we get to know about her diverse experiences that shaped her working style of always being 'people-first'. We also hear about how this strategy has helped her transition into the world of venture capital, at 776 and what differentiates the fund. Lastly, Katelin shares what it takes to break into the VC ecosystem. 

In this episode, Caroline dives into her journey from music major to being a serial entrepreneur and leading a powerhouse startup accelerator. We'll hear about her experiences co-founding the neuromarketing pioneer NeuroFocus, her time at Nielsen, and her current role as an investor at SkyDeck. Caroline also shares insights on what makes the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund stand out and their approach...

In this episode with Ash, we talk about her strategic transitions into the world of blockchain investing and finding her next move in the VC world. We also explore the latest trends in AI and early stage investing, and end with some actionable suggestions for entering the investing world.

In this episode, Priya talks to us about her relatively early move into VC and her biggest learnings from investing in mid to growth stage companies. She dives into why she started her firm, Touring Capital and the fund's investment focus on AI enabled software, initially in North America while keeping eyes open on other regional markets. Finally, Priya shares her thoughts on gender dynamics...

In our 100th episode, we talk to Lily (recently named Boston's new power venture capitalist) about her decision to pursue a career in VC after years in product strategy at Facebook. Lily also shares Underscore's investment thesis, her views on the thriving Boston ecosystem and the role of data in startups. Finally, Lily touches on how she leverages her role in the industry to promote rep...

In this episode, we talk to Joanna about her work and pursuit for impact in the non-profit sector and now in venture capital. Joanna touches on how her background shaped her career choices, her decision to join VC and Illumen Capital. She also delves into how companies (VCs and startups) can tactically implement impact strategies and address gender and racial biases. 

In this episode, we talk to Heidi about her career, starting as one of the earliest female operators in Tech as the CEO of T/Maker and growing and building the company. We dive into her transition to VC with roles at Mobius, DFJ and now Threshold and trends she's excited about.  We also touch on her story as a great "people connector", being at the center of an HBS case and gender b...

In this episode, we talk to Kelly about her optimization for learning and development which led her to various roles and ultimately VC. We learn more about Vestigo Venture's investment strategy and  community driven approach to investing as well as trends Kelly is excited about. Finally, we touch on what it takes to break into the industry. 

In this episode, Fazeela walks us through her global experiences in VC including building out Temasek's healthcare and international businesses and her more recent role at Revolution. Fazeela also touches on Revolution's efforts to tackle the unequal distribution of opportunity and her views on VC DE&I efforts, having led some of them in her career. She shares her insights on how and...

In this episode, Julie talks about her venture firm, How Women Invest, and how empowering women is about unlocking untapped potential. She shares her view of having women at the table as investors and corporate board members. She also touches on the importance of "networks, mentorship, and continuous learning" in VC and her own life. Finally, Julie touches on some of her most impactful p...

In this conversation with Claude, we hear about her operator experience at L2, followed by transition to an investor role with Volition after pursuing an MBA. We hear about how she chose her career transitions and firms she wanted to work with. We end with her take on how women should approach growing in the VC ecosystem. 

In this episode, Alexa shares her journey building companies that she wished existed for herself, including LearnVest and Inspired Capital. Alexa dives into Inspired's "napkin to revenue", long term investment strategy. She also touches on her experiences hosting her own podcast, "The Founders Project" interviewing many notable founders.  Finally Alexa shares her observati...

In this episode, we talk to Melissa about her experience giving legal advice and negotiating deals for tech companies and VC funds and her passion to help inform and represent underrepresented founders in the industry.  Melissa dives deeper into the role of lawyers in the VC ecosystem and reflects on some of her highs and lows in the space as a thought partner. Finally Melissa talks about how she...

In this episode, we talk to Risa about her journey into entrepreneurship and VC, combining her love for science and building. We touch on how being a repeat founder has shaped her investment style and some exciting innovations in life sciences.  Finally, we dive into her experiences in male dominated industries on the trading floor, in life sciences, PE and VC, how she navigates that experience an...

As we kick off season 3 of the Women in VC, we reflect on the current state of the industry and celebrate the many achievements of women. 

In this episode, we talk to Sonja about her long and successful career in venture capital, including becoming the youngest GP at Menlo Ventures and investing in companies such as TheRealReal, Q1 Labs and many more. Sonja walks us through how Broadway Angels, an investment group made up of women, came about and what her experience has been being the only woman in many rooms. Finally, she shares som...