Founder Friendly: Venture Capital | Startups | Tech

What is the new generation up to? Tune in as we invite Rex Woodbury, founder of Daybreak and the mind behind Digital Native, a digital newsletter with over 60,000 subscribers. From investing at TPG and Index Ventures to creating his venture fund, Daybreak, Rex brings a wealth of knowledge and advice to anyone looking to break into VC. Join us as we explore the founding rationale behind Daybreak, emerging trends in Gen Z, and how Rex held a record for the fastest half-marathon in a suit!

Chapter Timestamps:

(00:00) Background and Introduction to Rex

(06:04) Digital Native and Serendipity

(13:44) Writing Process

(15:03) Shift in Work Economies

(18:33) Behavior Shifts in Gen-Z

(24:20) Starting Daybreak

(32:25) Founder Traits

(35:30) Seeking Mentorship

(37:20) Half-Marathon in a Suit

(41:00) Ikigai and Curiosity

Tune in to a special episode featuring Shiyan Koh, co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, a firm that specializes in seed and pre-seed investments. We'll dive into Shiyan's impressive career journey, covering her investment roles at Institutional Venture Partners and Bridgewater, her pivotal role in scaling Nerdwallet from $1 million to $150 million in annual recurring revenue, and her experiences founding and leading investments at Hustle Fund. Join us to also learn why business school is a perfect matchmaker, the significance of acquiring investing experience as recent graduates, and Shiyan's insights on what really needs venture funding currently.

We are excited to host our first two-on-two episode this season with Varun Ramakrishnan and James Flynn from General Atlantic – a leading global growth equity investor. Both Varun and James graduated from University of Pennsylvania, and have diverse backgrounds. Varun previously held machine learning and software engineering roles at various startups, while James gained experience in growth-stage VC at Georgian and investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Join us as they delve into their current roles at General Atlantic, their approach to technology investing, the cost structures of AI, how companies are adapting to AI, and AI's role in their daily workflows.

Join us in hosting Michael Dolbec, Managing Partner at Momenta Ventures, for our third episode this season. Michael, who boasts an extensive investing career with funds like Kleiner Perkins and Greylock and has led corporate venture capital at companies including IBM, LG Electronics, and General Electric, will share insights on the current state of AI in the industrial space. Tune in to hear a wide range of topics: from personal advice given by John Doerr during Michael's early career days, to how generative AI is revolutionizing manufacturing, and exploring the monetization potential of processing industrial data.

Join us in our second episode this season as we host Sanjana Basu from Radical Ventures. Transitioning from investment banking to venture capital, Sanjana offers a deep dive into the world of healthcare AI. Explore the types of AI companies, understand why a purely technical team doesn't guarantee success, and discover how Radical extends support to founders beyond just financial capital. Additionally, gain insights into how Radical's portfolio companies are pioneering transformations in the healthcare sector through the power of artificial intelligence.

In the very first episode of our AI sprint, we're joined by Yousuf Khan, Partner at Ridge Ventures, specializing in early-stage B2B enterprise software. Yousuf imparts his expertise from various roles in managing, advising, and investing in software companies, providing a lens into his investment philosophy. Tune in as we discuss pragmatic insights on building AI companies for founders, strategic deployment of AI features for businesses, and the ever-increasing imperative of data security in the enterprise software domain

Today, we continue our Crypto/Web3 sprint and spoke with Dan Elitzer, the co-founder of Nascent, a global multi-strategy investment firm focused on crypto, DeFi, and open finance. Tune in to learn about the criteria investors look for in crypto startups, how social impact can be tied into this space in the coming years, and Dan's advice for students who are looking to break into this space.   

Also, check out some of the resources that Dan talks about in the podcast and a cool project that Nascent has been working on: 

https://thedefiant.io 

https://newsletter.banklesshq.com 

yobot.com  

And follow him on Twitter! @delitzer @nascentxyz

This week we spoke to Jonathan Goldberg, CEO and Founder of Caron Direct, to discuss both the investment and carbon management aspects of climate impact. Listen to hear the role financial institutions and governments can play in accelerating climate impact and learn about the future of the Voluntary Carbon Market.

To kick off our LegalTech sprint we invited Jacqueline Schafer, Founder and CEO of Clearbrief, to discuss robo-ethics. Listen to hear how Clearbrief can tell if you’re lying and helps David beat Goliath in the courtroom.

We invited Yee Lee, VP of Growth & Special Projects at Terraformation, to discuss all things reforestation. A four time founder and early employee of PayPal, Yee talks about how his new company, Terraformation, seeks to scale carbon capture, from seed to forest.

Founder Friendly returns! This week we talk climate and crypto with Paul Gambill, CEO and Co-Founder of Nori. Listen to hear about the Nori Token - a cryptocurrency designed to be the world’s universal market-driven reference price for carbon dioxide removal.

To resume our ClimateTech sprint we invited Max Nova, Co-Founder and COO of NCX, to discuss America’s Forest Carbon Market. Listen to hear about the value in NOT cutting down your trees.

To kick off our FinTech sprint we invited Christina Qi, CEO and Co-Founder of Databento, to discuss democratising financial market data. Listen to hear about the data-as-a-service industry, what it’s like to run a billion dollar HFT fund, alternative data, and how to handle rejection.

For this week’s ClimateTech episode we invited Sanchali Pal, CEO and Founder, of Joro to discuss spending sustainably. Listen to hear about changing social norms, driving collective action, and what it’s like to raise with Sequoia.

To continue our ClimateTech sprint we invited Tommy Ricketts, CEO and Co-Founder of BeZero Carbon, to discuss Voluntary Carbon Markets. Listen to hear how a trip to Japan and a tattoo led to the creation of a carbon credit ratings, data and analytics platform.

To continue our ClimateTech sprint we invited Markus Gilles, CEO and Co-Founder of Klima, to discuss simple climate action in the palm of your hand. He talks about how to estimate your carbon footprint and the importance of collective action, technology, and political action in combating climate change.

We invited Stuart Winchester, CEO and Founder of Marble, to discuss all things InsurTech. He talks about earning rewards on your insurance, innovation, displacing incumbents, and more.

To continue our ClimateTech sprint we invited JP McNeill, CEO and Co-Founder of Ando Money, to discuss mobile banking for a more sustainable future. He talks about sustainable banking, becoming a B Corp, Biden’s Build Back Better and more.

This week we invited Jean-Sébastien Beaucamps, CEO and Co-Founder of LaCollection, to discuss all things NFTs. He talks about building a community of people passionate about art and technology, partnering with The British Museum, in-person NFT collector events, and more.

To start off our ClimateTech sprint we invited Tomas Thyblad, Head of ESG solutions, European Markets, and VP at Nasdaq, to discuss moving towards a more sustainable future. He talks COP26, carbon credits, greenwashing and more.

To start the year off we invited Dom Lau, Principal at Ripple Ventures, to discuss what the future looks like for VC. He talks crossover funds, startup valuations, Web 3.0 and more. Listen until the end to hear about opportunities to break into VC.

The second episode in our FemTech and women's healthcare sprint was with Elanza Wellness. Today, we spoke with founders Brittany Hawkins & Catherine Hendy. Elanza Wellness specializes in utilizing holistic methods in order to manage fertility. Tune in to hear about the company, trends within the fertility space, and the founders’ experiences!

Our first sprint of the semester focuses on femtech and the women's healthcare industry. As the pandemic led to an increase in VC funding in healthcare and digital health, femtech has also exploded in the last year and many new startups have emerged in the space. Today we will be speaking with Buffy Alegria, Managing Partner at SteelSky Ventures, a firm that specifically invests in women's healthcare. Come learn about the trends shaping femtech, unique subsectors that are poised for growth, and what SteelSky looks for in companies and founders!

Sweden has a flourishing startup scene, particularly in the software space. We sat down with Hannah Meiton of Sting, a Swedish VC firm to discuss how she guides SaaS and Fintech companies in their growth stage. Having previously worked in San Francisco, Hannah shares the distinctions between VC investing in the States and in the Nordic’s—where historical and cultural factors have made it a startup hotspot. Tune in to learn more about the promising ecosystem developing in Stockholm.  

The international VC sprint continues with OurCrowd, a global crowdfunding platform and the most active VC investor in Israel. We sat down with Ariel Krause to discuss how OurCrowd is democratizing access to investments in pre-IPO tech companies, how the firm navigates the legal challenges of investing in companies around the world, and her journey from St. Louis to Tel Aviv. Listen to learn more about how crowdfunding is changing the venture capital landscape and the Israeli startup ecosystem, one of the fastest growing technology hubs in the world.

Join Founder Friendly for our newest sprint focusing on international accelerators and venture capital firms! Our first episode is with Station F, the world's largest startup facility, where we'll be sitting down with Marwan Elfitesse to discuss the resources Station F provides to build a community of entrepreneurs and their unique campus program in the heart of Paris! Learn about why they believe the greatest resource for founders is...other founders.

We are entering, or perhaps in the thick of, a golden age for SaaS—software as a service—companies. Everywhere we look a new SaaS startup is popping up, so we thought we’d learn a bit more about how investors determine which teams to back; we were lucky enough to sit down with investor Casey Aylward of Costanoa Ventures for a conversation on how these companies develop their go-to market strategies, whether Costanoa prefers greenfield opportunities or solutions with marginal improvements, and how students can position themselves for careers working-in or investing-in SaaS companies.

The student startup sprint continues with some wonderful East Coast companies. Join to hear how COVID allowed NYU's very own POSH to permeate the event ticketing space, and how they differentiate through CRM features. Or listen to learn about the Minecraft map-making vertical with Varuna and what it has to do with the meta-verse and NFTs. Keep listening for a great conversation with the CEO of Simplex Sciences on the applications of single-stranded DNA ladders and leading a biotech company as a college junior. 

There are strengths and weaknesses in being a student founder. Maybe you have an idea you’re considering developing while enrolled in college—this is the episode for you. Listen and learn from three founders—Ofek (Quokka Brew), Audrey (Curious Cardinals), Alex (GoSurf)—about their experiences leveraging student ambassadors, targeting early adopters, and leaning into university resources. From jitterless caffeine to reimagining edtech to a full-stack platform for surfing, these companies span various industries and reveal different pain points in a startups journey. 

Vice Clauses, remnants of America's Protestant prudishness, prevent most VC firms from investing in lucrative, growing industries like cannabis, sextech, and alcoholic beverages. We were able to sit down with Vice Ventures founder Catharine Dockery to discuss how she carves out a competitive edge by exclusively investing in these underfunded, good businesses operating in "bad" industries. Check out the episode to hear Catharine's own vice, how Mark Andreessen of a16z responded to her cold email, and the future of harm reduction technologies.

Our third sprint will be on how VCs that deeply specialize have a competitive advantage over generalist firms. Today we are speaking with Amy Jermain of XXcelerate, an Oregon based women-focused accelerator investing in community impact oriented startups founded by women and BIPOC! Come listen and learn about the challenges faced the male-dominated industry and how Amy is elevating these founders!

Follow Skye and Lily as they finish up their startup's lifecycle. Do they succeed? Or do they fail? Who knows... there's only one way to find out. Happy Holidays everyone!

Come listen to the startup lifecycle and journey through the lens of our very own home-made startup...Voozy! Listen as Lily and Skye go over their journey starting the company and working on the business. 

Listen to the OG Founders of SVS talk about their experience with tech and their journey from SVS to professional life!

Episode 1 of NYU and VC. Come learn more about NYU's premiere venture capital, entrepreneurship, and tech club from the president and post-mentorship lead of SVS! You'll learn more about the club, the culture, opportunities and ways to join, and how the club has changed and shifted in the past few years. 

Join Yasmine Mustafa, founder of ROAR for Good, as she talks about pivoting in the middle of a pandemic to help address concerns and needs. We talk about starting ROAR for Good, social impact and justice, and her incredible journey to become a CEO and leader. 

Come spend some time learning about what a typical work-day could look like in the future! The future of the common workday is changing rapidly in the current world and Gary Swart has spent years developing the remote work landscape. Come join as he talks about his journey, the future, and his experience at Polaris Partners. 

Mario Gabriele from Charge VC joins us as we discuss early stage investing, market trends from coronavirus, and managing the large influx of information today. Learn about The Generalist, the future of VC, and the important factors of evaluating a startup on this week's episode! You can subscribe to The Generalist at readthegeneralist.com.

Taco, Skye, and SVS member Andrei discuss the implications of coronavirus through a business student lens. Learn about the US financial markets, the bidding war for respirators, and internship opportunities still available for students. 

Bored at home from the quarantine? Take a break from watching Netflix and come listen to Sam Barberie from Britesiders talk about his up and coming startup and the landscape of startup world versus corporate. 

J. Skyler Fernandes, the founder of Venture University and Simon Ventures, sits down with us to talk about the ins and outs of venture capital. Gain insights on advice for college students looking to enter VC and how to set yourself apart from other candidates.