Shows
TrailblazersPaige Finn Doherty: Founding Partner at Behind Genius VenturesThis week we chat with Paige Finn Doherty!Paige is the Founding Partner of Behind Genius Ventures, an early-stage venture firm managing nearly $14 million in AUM. Behind Genius makes concentrated investments in pre-seed and seed-stage companies led by technical storytellers across applied AI, frontier tech, and what’s next.A writer and former engineer, Paige first broke into venture capital in a truly unconventional way by writing a best-selling “children’s book for adults” about how venture capital works, Seed to Harvest. At the time, she was working as a Develop...
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Seed to HarvestWhat 640 Oxford Founding Partner Adam Gartenberg Learned on 400 Factory Tours| Ep. 97Send us a textIn this episode, host Paige Doherty sits down with Adam Gartenberg, co-founder at 640 Oxford and former Head of Product & Ops at Uber Rider Innovation. They discuss Adam's 400 factory tours to build unique investment insights, how to build with urgency, the psychology of early-stage execution, and Adam’s unique lens on product strategy, shaped by startup experience and scaling inside Uber.Watch the full episode for:Early-stage speed & decision-makingLeading product in scrappy vs. scaled environmentsLessons from Uber & 640 OxfordAdvice for builders trying to gain tra...
2025-07-1619 minSeed to HarvestAlex Bean on Selling Divvy for $2.5B, Early Hustles, & Building Factory for Good | Ep 96Send us a textAlex Bean, co-founder of Divvy (acquired by BILL.com for $2.5B), joins us to share his founder journey - from teaching ski lessons at 16 to starting multiple scrappy businesses, to scaling Divvy into a fintech giant. In this episode, we talk about the lessons learned from both early failures and billion-dollar success, what not to do when launching a company, and how he's now building Factory to support other founders.This episode includes:• His earliest business ideas (including one called “Plum Tree Jewelry”)• Why chasing margins doesn’t work...
2025-06-1843 minSeed to HarvestJames Evans’ Lessons Learned Building a >$50M YC-Backed Business & Selling it to a Public Company | Ep 95Send us a textIn this episode, James Evans, co-founder of Command AI (acq by Amplitude), shares his entrepreneurial journey- from childhood ambitions to launching a startup in college and scaling it through YC. He talks about turning a side project into a venture-backed company, navigating the startup grind, and eventually getting acquired by Amplitude. James breaks down the realities of startup life, including hiring, sales vs. product-led growth, and the psychological weight of being a founder. He also walks through the acquisition process, post-acquisition integration, and how he’s continuing to grow in a new role. Th...
2025-05-1435 minSeed to HarvestLessons I Learned Writing and Self-Publishing a Children's Book About VC | Ep 94Send us a textHi everyone! In this episode, I’m doing something a little different — walking you through the three phases of self-publishing my first book, Seed to Harvest, a children’s book about venture capital. I’ll share the full behind-the-scenes: how I came up with the idea, what the writing and publishing process looked like, how much money I made (real numbers!), and how this book helped launch Behind Genius Ventures.In this episode, I cover:How to validate book ideas like a startupWhat it actually costs to publish a book (an...
2025-05-0624 minSeed to HarvestTom McLeod on Startups, Tech, and Creative Financing | Ep 93Send us a textTom McLeod isn’t your typical founder or investor.He bootstrapped a SaaS to 100k users, built a League of Legends app used by millions, sold it to Tencent, and now backs businesses at the intersection of identity, community, and cashflow. Think: car clubs, not cloud infra.In this episode of Seed to Harvest, Tom breaks down:• The 3 founder archetypes he’s seen across cycles• Why he hires founders (even though they always leave)• What he learned going from bootstrapped to venture-backed• How he thinks about underwriting non-venture...
2025-04-251h 02Seed to HarvestNJOY's Journey: From $1B Val to Bankruptcy to $2.75 Billion Dollar Exit | What It Takes Ep 1Send us a textIn this special series of 'What It Takes,' Paige and analyst Chinwuba interview founders who have sold their companies for more than $1B. Our first episode features Mark Weiss and Jeff Weiss, the founders of NJOY, a billion-dollar e-cigarette company. They dive into the entrepreneurial journey, starting from their upbringing in a family of lawyers and athletes to the unique inception of NJOY after discovering electronic cigarettes through a mentor. Mark explains the challenges NJOY faced, including the legal battles with the FDA, which they successfully overcame, allowing them to p...
2025-04-1050 minSeed to HarvestThe Business of Broadway: Behind the Scenes with Tony Award Winner Sue Gilad | Ep 92Send us a textIn this episode of 'Seed to Harvest,' hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, delve into the intricate world of Broadway with five-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, Sue Gilad. Sue shares her journey from a childhood love of theater to becoming a major Broadway producer. She offers a detailed look at the production process, including the roles behind-the-scenes, financing, and the impact of COVID-19 on the Broadway industry. Highlights include the making of 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical,' insights into fundraising and producing, and the excitement of winning a Tony Award. Tune in to...
2025-02-2641 minSeed to HarvestTackling Mold Toxicity with MoldCo CEO Ariana Thacker | Ep 91Send us a textFrom Mold Toxicity to Million Dollar Startup: Ariana Thacker's Inspiring Journey with MoldCoIn this episode of 'Seed to Harvest,' host Paige Finn Doherty welcomes back Ariana Thacker of MoldCo. They discuss Ariana's journey from discovering toxic mold in her home while running Conscience VC to founding MoldCo, a healthcare platform tackling mold toxicity. Ariana shares her personal health struggles, the deep research into mold-related toxicity, her innovative healthcare solutions, and raising a $3 million pre-seed round. They also delve into the misconceptions about mold, the process of treating mold toxicity...
2025-02-0539 min
Iconic Conversations with Tanaka TavaE50: Paige Finn Doherty - Founding Partner of Behind Genius VenturesPaige Finn Doherty is the Founding Partner at Behind Genius Ventures, a fund investing in early-stage product-led growth companies in the future of work & the future of play. Paige is also the author of Seed to Harvest, a book demystifying VC for children and adults. Until recently she was also a Developer Success Engineer at WorkOS.
Takeaways
Event planning is an art that requires attention to detail and thoughtfulness to create an authentic and meaningful experience.
Building an idea from scratch involves flexing the creative muscle and bringing fiction into reality.
2024-04-2539 minSeed to HarvestNYC’s Early Stage Venture Evolution with Lerer Hippeau Managing Partner Ben Lerer | Ep 89Send us a textToday, I am joined by Ben Lerer, the Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau, an early stage venture firm based in New York that invests in iconic companies that rattle the status quo. Ben shares insights into his journey from founding digital media company Group Nine Media, including the creation of Thrillist, to transitioning into full-time investing after selling his business. Ben highlights how his background in media and operating companies influences his approach to venture capital, emphasizing the excitement, challenges, and rewards of being on the investor side of the table....
2024-03-2630 minSeed to Harveststitching a sustainable future: Missy Oei on fast fashion and venture capital | Ep 88Send us a textIn today's episode, Missy Oei, winner of the BGV winter break college essay contest and senior at the University of Dayton studying entrepreneurship & marketing, shares her journey from realizing the significant impact of fast fashion on her generation to aspiring to break into venture capital with a focus on impact investing. Missy’s winning essay dives into the environmental ramifications of fast fashion, a topic borne out of her personal transition from a lover of shopping to an advocate for sustainability. Her narrative not only reflects a personal commitment to change but also si...
2024-03-1929 minSeed to Harvestunlocking the revolutionary potential of multimodal AI | Ep 87Send us a textIn today's episode, we discuss the transformative world of Multimodal AI, an advanced form of artificial intelligence that integrates and processes multiple data types—text, images, audio, and video—to emulate human-like perception. Unlike text-based AI models such as ChatGPT, which specialize in generating text-based responses, Multimodal AI offers a more comprehensive understanding by processing diverse data inputs, mirroring the way humans utilize multiple senses to interact with their environment. The essence of Multimodal AI lies in its ability to converge various forms of data to present a more holistic view, though it face...
2024-03-1216 minSeed to Harvestreviewing the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest! | Ep 86Send us a textIn today's podcast, I'm thrilled to share insights from the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest, which I launched in December. We received 20 diverse essays from schools like Cornell, Georgia Tech, UNC, SDSU and more. The prompt asked students to explore impactful problems in 1800 words or fewer, engaging the audience with expert quotes and a clear explanation of the problem's significance. The range of topics varied from smartphone addiction to the future of politics and AI in the creative cycle. As a 2020 graduate of San Diego State, I understand the financial...
2024-02-0631 minSeed to HarvestExited Founder to Building a Startup Insulator: Brickyard Co-founder Cam Doody | Ep 85Send us a textToday, I am joined by Cam Doody, the Co-founder & General Partner at Brickyard, a first-round venture capital firm and residency. In this episode, we explore Cam's transition to the venture side, raising ~ 115 million dollars, his principles on investing, and insights into founder residencies. Cam emphasizes the grind of entrepreneurship and the absence of overnight success, drawing parallels with the metaphor of "laying brick" to signify the continuous effort and perseverance in building a business. Previously, Cam was the Co-Founder of Bellhop, the fastest growing moving & relocation brand in the U.S.— rebuilding the $18B...
2024-01-2327 minSeed to Harvesthow to teach a founder to coach themselves with executive coach Jasper Stephens | Ep 84Send us a textToday, I am joined by Jasper Stephens, a leadership coach specializing in working with CEOs and executive teams of Seed Series A and Series B companies. In this episode, the focus is on the role of executive and leadership coaches in the growth journey of founders and CEOs of early-stage startups. Jasper and I explore common questions founders may have about executive coaching, touching on team management, goal-setting, effective communication, and eventually expanding to strategic considerations like product development. Tune in to gain insights into the journey of founders seeking guidance and the...
2024-01-1629 minSeed to Harvestlaunching the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest! | Ep 83Send us a textIn today's podcast, I am thrilled to announce the Behind Genius Ventures winter break college essay contest for college students. Drawing from my own experience of funding education through essay scholarships, I recognize the need for a platform that allows students to explore their passions. As the founder of a venture capital fund, I'm eager to hear from the next generation of investors and founders about the issues driving their passion. The winning essayist will receive a $500 cash prize, a chance to record a podcast episode, and a week shadowing me as a...
2024-01-0904 minSeed to Harvesthow community led growth resulted in millions in revenue & a wsj bestseller for lloyed lobo | Ep 82Send us a textToday, I am joined by Lloyed Lobo, Co-Founder of Boast.AI & Traction, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of "From Grassroots to Greatness." In this episode, Lloyed shares the 4 things he did to make his book a Wall Street Journal Bestseller. The podcast also explores the technical aspects of community-led growth, touching on Lloyed's journey, frugality in business, and the impact of hosting successful events to build a community that contributed to his revenue and marketing success. Furthermore, Lloyed talks about managing excess capital in business growth, providing perspectives on decision-making and the influence o...
2023-12-1931 minSeed to HarvestClosing a $31 Million Dollar Fund with Rishi Taparia of Garuda Ventures! | Ep 81Send us a textToday, I am joined by Rishi Taparia, Managing Partner of Garuda Ventures, who enthusiastically discusses the accomplishment of securing a $31 million fund. Rishi sheds light on the challenges of fundraising, providing insights into Garuda's journey from a nights-and-weekends passion project in 2018 to a full-time firm that successfully fundraised in 2021. He emphasizes the firm's dedication to early-stage B2B startup investments and its commitment to providing both capital and valuable guidance to founders. Prior to his role at Garuda Ventures, Rishi gained experience at Evergrow, Legion Technologies, and Poynt.Seed to Harvest...
2023-12-1233 minSeed to Harvestusing my playlisting methods to build an investment portfolio | Ep 80Send us a textIn today’s podcast, I talk about the “Spotify Playlist” method, discussing how the approach of naming playlists and creating the right mix extends beyond music curation to impact various aspects of business and content creation. I also explore using my playlisting methods to build an investment portfolio in the context of investment, highlighting how strong language and naming contribute to building a repeatable and explicit investment approach. Lastly, I share reflections on the evolving process of naming in an investment thesis and considerations when collaborating with co-investors in venture capital.Seed t...
2023-12-0509 minSeed to Harvestblending artistry into investment strategy with The Magic Grid | Ep 79Send us a textIn today’s podcast, I talk about returning from an amazing two-week trip to Guatemala with my mom, thanks to Local Hope and Art Ambassadors for a Colorful World. During the trip, I had the incredible opportunity to contribute to art classes, witness a breathtaking sunrise hike in Tikal, and visit a fascinating ceramic studio by Lake Atitlan. These experiences not only reignited my passion for writing but also introduced me to The Magic Grid, a unique painting approach by Kevin Macpherson. I'm currently contemplating how its principles can be applied to my in...
2023-11-2107 minSeed to Harvestanswering founder fundraising FAQs | Ep 78Send us a textIn today’s podcast, we're diving deep into the world of venture capital and pitch deck mastery. Over the last three years, I've assessed thousands of pitch decks and made 39 investments at the pre-seed and seed stage. Today’s episode features a candid discussion with a close friend about the nuances of raising venture capital as an early-stage founder. We'll take a close look at what happens when you tear down a pitch deck, dispelling misconceptions about raising venture financing. Additionally, we will focus on the power of narrative and the art of craf...
2023-10-2433 minSeed to HarvestInvesting in Generative AI with BGV Portfolio Founder Deepak Sekar | Ep 77Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Deepak Sekar, Co-Founder and CEO of Prof Jim, bringing content to life with Generative AI. Prof Jim transforms books, websites, and other text into interactive videos — at scale. Deepak has been granted 200+ patents, making him one of the more prolific inventors in the world today. Previously, Deepak was the Founder and CEO of Chowbotics, which built the world's first fresh food-making robot named “Sally.” Under Sekar’s leadership, Chowbotics was named among the food trends of 2019 by The New York Times and listed as one of the world’s most innov...
2023-09-2629 minSeed to HarvestOne Ring to Rule them All: Why We Invested in Lotus with CEO Dhaval Patel | Ep 76Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Dhaval Patel, Founder and CEO of Lotus, a Techstars portfolio company, that makes a wearable ring to control objects at home by pointing. Unlike traditional smart home tech - no rewiring, no app, no internet. Lotus' mission is to build tech that is usable by everyone, by optimizing for disability. Previously, Patel was the VP of Hardware at PillDrill and an engineering manager at Apple for 8+ years. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted...
2023-09-1233 minSeed to Harvestour approach to investing in early stage AI companies | ep75Send us a textIn today’s podcast, I talk about AI’s power to automate, optimize, and revolutionize, making AI a goldmine for opportunities. However, because of the rapidly accelerating pace of AI innovation, what seems like a cutting-edge investment today could be outdated in a few short years or even months or weeks. The excitement about the potential of AI, although warranted, needs to be supplemented with a healthy dose of discipline, caution, and diligence. In this podcast, we’ll dig deeper into the value of investing early in AI, the risks, and our unique approa...
2023-08-2915 minSeed to HarvestInvesting in Micro-Influencer Marketing with BGV Portfolio Founder Kristen Wiley | Ep 74Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Kristen Wiley, Founder of Statusphere, a influencer marketing platform that helps brands earn authentic micro-influencer posts at scale in a fraction of the time. With Statusphere, brands save 98% of the time they’d typically spend on influencer marketing while securing dozens, hundreds or thousands of guaranteed posts. With Statusphere’s streamlined matchmaking algorithm, fulfillment technology and in-depth reporting, they help brands drive maximum results with minimal setup. Previously, Kristen worked as a Chief Marketing Officer at Greenhouse Agency and BlurtBox.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on s...
2023-08-2226 minSeed to HarvestInvesting in Creator Testing with BGV Portfolio Founder Anthony Privitelli | Ep 73Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Anthony Privitelli, Founder of Creator Testing, on-demand creator-focused feedback and insights. Essentially, Creator Testing was built for teams and individuals who want to get creator feedback, whether it's podcasters, short-form video creators, long-form video creators, live streamers, bloggers, writers, etc. Previously, Anthony worked as a Product Manager at TikTok and a Product Manager at Patreon. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and...
2023-08-1539 minSeed to HarvestBGV Portfolio Founder Max Echeverría of Eskuad on Disrupting Field Ops | Ep 72Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Max Echeverria, Founder & CEO of Eskuad, a field data platform built specifically for operations and compliance. Eskuad transforms the way you work in the field — whether you operate by yourself or with a team. Easily organize your work, collect data, and generate reports. In the office, gain instant real-time visibility into your field operations and communicate easily with field teams. Previously, Max worked as an Entrepreneur at Start-Up Chile and an Entrepreneur at Techstars. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse ar...
2023-08-0833 minSeed to HarvestCEOs are not born, they are created: Pear VC Managing Partner Mar Hershenson | Ep71Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Mar Hershenson, Managing Partner at Pear VC, where seed specialists partner with founders at the earliest stages to turn great ideas into category-defining companies. Pear VC founded 10+ companies and invested early in startups now worth over $50B. In just 9 years, Pear VC has seeded 7 companies currently valued at over $1B and 3 public companies. Previously, Mar worked as co-founder/VP for Product Development at Revel Touch and an Entrepreneur in Residence for Foundation Capital. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array...
2023-08-0132 minSeed to HarvestHow SaaS Founders Can Reach the Gen Z Market | ep70Send us a textIn today’s podcast, I talk about my focus on the Gen Z market, which is values-focused and seeks to connect with brands that align with their ideals. I provide three key strategies for SaaS founders to reach the Gen Z market: standing for something and promoting company values, leveraging storytelling and authenticity in customer communications, and creating a memorable product experience through customer empathy and feedback. I emphasize the importance of Gen Z's role in shaping the future of tech and offer advice to founders on how to connect with this influential de...
2023-07-2507 minSeed to Harvest22 of my favorite off-script podcast questions | ep69Send us a textJoin me in today's podcast as I dive into 22 of my favorite off-script podcast questions and reminisce about previous inspiring guests.Highlighting Ashley Flucas, Halle Kaplan-Allen, Nik Sharma, Beezer Clarkson, Meagan Loyst, Judith Dada, Charles Hudson, Jamie Rhode, Emily Herrera, Elana Dickman, Jaclyn Hester, Gale Wilkinson, Julia Lipton, Monique Woodard, Kelli Fontaine, Erin Harkless Moore, Rachel Braun, Arkady Kulik, Ariana Thacker, Courtney Leimkuhler. Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigef...
2023-07-1804 minSeed to HarvestClosing a $35 Million Fund with Springbank Collective Founding Partner Courtney Leimkuhler | Ep68Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Courtney Leimkuhler, Founding Partner at Springbank Collective, investing in the infrastructure serving the long-overlooked needs of women and working families. It’s a $1 trillion opportunity hiding in plain sight. Courtney spent 20 years in the financial services industry on both the capital formation and risk management sides of the business. After starting her career at Goldman Sachs, she joined the New York Stock Exchange at a critical moment in the history of equity capital markets. She also lead the finance and strategy functions for Marsh - the world’s leading insu...
2023-07-1136 minSeed to HarvestAriana Thacker on the Engineer-to-Investor Playbook | Ep67Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Ariana Thacker, Founding Partner at Conscience VC, an early-stage investment firm investing in science empowering humanity. Conscience VC was founded with the mission to generate a positive and scalable impact on the world by partnering with technical founders. Early in Ariana’s career, she fell in love with early-stage startups and saw investing as the best way to drive impact and support entrepreneurs. She previously worked as a chemical engineer, Managing Partner at Predictive VC, and investor at Rhapsody Venture Partners. Seed to Harvest is a podcast fo...
2023-07-0429 minSeed to HarvestRecursive Ventures Managing Partner Itamar Novick on Investing in Early Stage Tech Companies | Ep66Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Itamar Novick, Managing Partner at Recursive Ventures, a San Francisco based Micro VC fund investing in US Pre-seed and Seed Tech Startups disrupting industries through use of Data and Artificial Intelligence. Itamar has been supporting entrepreneurs since 2010 (50+ investments). He is also a Business insider Top 100 Global seed investor 2021 & 2022. Previously, he worked as an Entrepreneur & Startup executive in companies such as Life360 and Gigya. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty...
2023-06-2726 minSeed to HarvestMoth Fund Founding Partner Molly Mielke on enabling exceptional individuals early | Ep65Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Molly Mielke, Founding Partner at Moth Fund, an early-stage-focused venture capital firm that aims to increase the agency of exceptional individuals using both investment dollars and grants. Her fortes are: storytelling (ex-Stripe/Figma/Notion), early-career talent recruiting, and dot-connecting within the venture ecosystem (former Sequoia Scout). Molly’s goal is to establish a replicable funding model that aligns the economics to incentivize supporting individuals from exploration all the way through to world-shaping company.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of...
2023-06-2029 minSeed to Harvestpodcast & behind genius updates: annual summit, founder survey results, big announcement! | ep64Send us a textIn today’s podcast, I have an exciting announcement to make. I also wanted to share a bit of context on where I am at with building Behind Genius Ventures and the direction that I want to take Seed to Harvest in the future.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Paige Doherty00:17 adjusting the schedule of Seed to Harvest00:52 new inspiration from Lig...
2023-06-1310 minSeed to Harvestrpv Founding Partner Arkady Kulik on Evaluating Companies and Identifying Talented Founders | Ep63Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Arkady Kulik, Founding Partner at rpv, a DeepTech Venture fund focused on early stage, scientifically intensive ventures. Arkady believes the alliance between entrepreneurs and scientists is the key to unlocking humanity's transition to an advanced civilization. His mission is to help both parties succeed across multiple industries and myriad contexts. Arkady’s business track record mix of c-suite corporate and entrepreneurship achievement spans multiple diversities: many different countries, industries, business models, investment contexts and leadership roles. From managing artists to restructuring large corporations, he has seen every stage of ve...
2023-06-0627 minSeed to Harvestmemes & millions: story time with paige | Ep62Send us a textToday I wanted to tell you a little bit about how memes on Twitter led me to manage millions of dollars. Through my journey with memes on Twitter, I feel that as I've gotten more comfortable as a venture firm manager and running my business, I'm starting to realize the magic of what I do is that I am informal and do not take things too seriously. Although I have very strong investment principles that have been developed through my experience backing CEOs in our portfolio, the thing that makes me unique is...
2023-05-1618 minSeed to HarvestGenZ Tech & VC Producer/Researcher Rachel Braun: Memorable Times Working with Jason Calacanis | Ep61Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Rachel Braun, Gen Z Tech & VC Producer & Researcher. Rachel is currently the founder and host of Braun & Brains, an agency specializing in producing social media content, events, and podcasts focusing on tech, business, and venture capital. She was previously the producer and correspondent for This Week in Startups, a weekly show that reviews the latest news related to new technology startups, hosted by technology entrepreneur Jason Calacanis. In addition to providing production and consulting services of her own, she was an investor at Dynamo Ventures in 2021. She is a...
2023-05-0940 minSeed to HarvestM13 Investing Partner Anna Barber on Lessons from Her Journey, the First Spark That Got Her into Venture, and Investment Trends to Keep an Eye On | Seed to Harvest Ep60Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Anna Barber, Investing Partner at M13, which is an LA based Series A venture fund focused on investing in the future of consumer technology. Understanding the future of consumer behavior is M13’s obsession, and it is why their funds have demonstrated repeatable success. After making early investments in direct-to-consumer brands (M13 participated in seed and Series A of 15 $1B companies), today M13 invests in the enabling technologies that power the future of work, health, commerce, and money. Anna previously worked at McKinsey & Co as a Strategy Consultant and VP...
2023-05-0227 minSeed to Harvestmastering cold outreach: my 5 P’s for success and powerful connections | Seed To Harvest Ep59Send us a textToday I wanted to talk about one of my favorite subjects: cold outreach. At this point in my life, I am pretty much a professional at cold outreach. Cold outreach is really what built the foundation of my career, whether that was an email, Twitter DM, or LinkedIn message. I will be addressing my five P's of cold outreach: perspective, purpose, process, prep, and post. I will also be sharing my perspective on my cold outreaches in the past because I have interacted with some pretty amazing people such as Beth Comstock, Ann...
2023-04-2521 minSeed to HarvestBlackbird Co-founder Niki Scevak on investing in successful Aussie startups | Seed To Harvest Ep58Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Niki Scevak, Co-founder of Blackbird, a $2.5 billion Australia based venture firm, investing across Australia and New Zealand at the early stage and beyond. Blackbird backs generational ambition with generational ownership by raising funds, investing in the best startup companies all the way through their journey from idea to beyond IPO. Their portfolio is worth over $7B and includes some of the most successful Aussie and Kiwi startups including Canva, Zoox, SafetyCulture and Culture Amp. Blackbird’s companies are united only by their ambition to tackle the world’s greatest prob...
2023-04-1124 minSeed to Harvest$50M wouldn’t even cause a banker to blink: Yasmine Lacaillade on SVB fallout | Seed To Harvest Ep57Send us a textToday, Im joined by Yasmine Lacaillade, the Founding Partner of Sinefine. We talk a little bit about the SVB situation that happened recently and it's broader impact on the ecosystem. Yasmine built Sinefine because she saw a growing need in the market for emerging manager aggregation and platforms. Having sat at Drive Capital for a decade and being in charge of LPs while building a single early-stage venture fund into a fully vertically integrated multi-billion dollar platform, Yasmine has talked to everything from family offices to some of the biggest pensions and foreign...
2023-04-0333 minSeed to Harvest2023 investment trends I am focusing on | Seed To Harvest Ep56Send us a textToday I'm going to talk about our portfolio at Behind Genius Ventures and some of the industry trends in 2023 and beyond. I am one of the youngest fund managers in the world. I founded Behind Genius Ventures in 2021. Our debut fund was $5 million and we invest in pre-seed and seed stage companies building within the future of work and the future of play. The topics we will be talking about today are companies building within generative ai, creators as a business, the loneliness epidemic, the conscious consumer, and the democratization of access.
2023-03-2819 minSeed to Harvestsix must-read books that transformed my writing style | Seed To Harvest Ep55Send us a textToday I am going to be sharing the six books that have really impacted the way that I write. I am the author of the book Seed to Harvest. Seed to Harvest is a children's book about venture capital, which I am really passionate about. I am sharing why I think venture is so unique and interesting with folks who might not come from traditional backgrounds or have a misconception that venture is a bunch of old dudes smoking cigars in a mahogany library. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused...
2023-03-2108 minSeed to HarvestInvariantes Fund Co-Founder Fernando Pontaza on Founding the First Venture Fund in Guatemala, Applying Guatemalan Culture to Investing, and Investing in Hustle Fund | Seed To Harvest Ep54Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Fernando Pontaza, Co-Founder and General Partner at Invariantes Fund. Fernando is a self-taught, multi-asset class portfolio manager with a track record of outperformance and solid risk metrics. After over 10 years in finance and a decade of managing portfolios, he has learned an enormous amount about the power of creating wealth. He believes the risks and sacrifices entrepreneurs take against the odds are key drivers of mankind's progress. As Co-Founder and General Partner of Guatemala’s first homegrown, early stage, Venture Capital Fund he is doing everything within his powe...
2023-03-1428 minSeed to HarvestScreendoor Partners Principal Wes Panek on How Screendoor has Evolved, His Take on Specialist vs. Generalist GPs, and Best Practices When Building Out an LPAC | Seed To Harvest Ep53Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Wes Panek, Principal at Screendoor Partners. Screendoor Partners focuses on supporting underrepresented venture capitalists, enabling founders and teams (both of whom are more likely to be underrepresented themselves) to back and build new companies, and creating a more inclusive venture capital and technology ecosystem. Previously, Wes was Principal at New Media Ventures, a Senior Associate at The Global Development Incubator, and a Strategy Consultant at Deloitte Beyond Investing. He loves to play and listen to jazz and is a diehard NBA fan.Seed to Harvest is a...
2023-03-0728 minSeed to HarvestLightspeed Partner Mercedes Bent on Her Journey into Venture, Recommendations for Founders Raising in 2023, and Tips for Investors in the Current Market | Seed To Harvest Ep52Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Mercedes Bent, an investor on the early stage team at Lightspeed with a focus on consumer fintech/crypto in LATAM and the USA. She is an investor in Forage, Stori, Flink, Outschool, Beek, Magic Eden, Hawku, Fan Controlled Sports, and more. Mercedes co-leads Lightspeed’s LATAM region and the Scout Fund (angel fund). In 2016, she was named a 40 Under 40 for Tech Diversity in Silicon Valley. Previously, she was a Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Asset Management division on a private wealth team where she managed $1.75 billion in w...
2023-02-2829 minSeed to HarvestPivotal Ventures Investing Director Erin Harkless Moore on Driving Impact Through Her Investing Portfolio, First Experience Meeting Melinda Gates, and Key Lessons Learned Through Investing at Pivotal Ventures | Seed To Harvest Ep51Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Erin Harkless Moore, who leads the fund and direct investment program for Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda French Gates to advance social progress in the United States. With over a decade and a half of investment experience, building and managing customized portfolios for endowed institutions and family offices, Erin is responsible for identifying, investing and overseeing a diverse portfolio of investments that drive breakthrough innovations and advance women’s power and influence.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tact...
2023-02-2124 minSeed to HarvestHow I built trust on Twitter, got Forbes 30U30, and raised $5 million at 23 | Seed to Harvest Ep50Send us a textIn this special episode, I talk about how I built trust on Twitter, got Forbes 30U30, and raised $5 million at 23. I share tips to prevent mistakes that emerging managers make raising their first fund. I will be answering questions concerning interactions on Twitter, demographics of LPs, managing how to network and build relationships with founders alongside raising a fund, sharing information and touching base with LPs, and my methodology for contacting LPs periodically throughout the year. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of i...
2023-02-1420 minSeed to HarvestRecast Capital Managing Partner Sara Zulkosky on Working With Over 65 Emerging Managers and Coaching the Next-Generation of Investors Through VCIC | Seed to Harvest Ep49Send us a textWelcome back to Seed to Harvest, a podcast with founders, creators, and investors about their stories, frameworks and tactics. Today, I’m joined by Sara Zulkosky, Managing Partner at Recast Capital. Prior to co-founding Recast, Sara served as a Venture Partner at Greenspring Associates, a venture capital platform with over $12B in assets under management. She also gives back to the young investing community as a coach for the Georgetown VCIC team led by 5 young female investors this last year.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a...
2023-02-0723 minSeed to HarvestCendana Partner Kelli Fontaine on Why Cendana Invested in Behind Genius Ventures, Capital Call Line of Credits, Supporting Solo GPs, and What Makes A Memorable Annual Meeting | Seed To Harvest Ep48Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Kelli Fontaine, Partner at Cendana Capital who previously served as Director for Trinity Capital Investment. Cendana Capital invests globally in very early stage funds, and now manages over $2.2B. They are our anchor investor for Fund 2, and I could not be more excited to have Kelli on the show today. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Ha...
2023-01-3126 minSeed to HarvestCake Ventures Founding Partner Monique Woodard on Her Strategy for Building a Balanced Portfolio, What She Looks For in Her Investment Process, and the Interesting Topic She is Currently Writing About | Seed To Harvest Ep47Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Monique Woodard, the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Cake Ventures. Cake Ventures is a pre-seed and seed venture capital firm investing in companies that touch areas of demographic change including aging and longevity, the increased spending power of women, and the shift to majority-minority. A Forbes article published on Jan 12, 2023, claims that Cake Ventures has closed its debut fund at $17 million dollars. Monique was previously a Venture Scout for Lightspeed Venture Partners and a Venture Partner for 500 Startups. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on...
2023-01-2420 minSeed to HarvestImpressionism Capital Founding Partner Sydney Thomas on Her Secret About Career Changes, Biggest Learnings from Precursor Ventures, and Her Thoughts on Fund Construction | Seed To Harvest Ep46Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Sydney Thomas, the Founding Partner of Impressionism Capital. She invests in early stage startups, specifically focusing on investing in real people. Since becoming the first hire at Precursor VC, Sydney has built a community of over 400 co-investors along with intuitive systems that scale small to midsize teams. She is a proud Beyoncé stan and dedicated writer who writes about her experience building her first fund on her blog.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and cre...
2023-01-1726 minSeed to HarvestNEA Partner Ann Bordetsky on Beginning Angel Investing, Main Decision Frameworks in Evaluating Companies, and Her Thoughts on the Future of Twitter | Seed To Harvest Ep45Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Ann Bordetsky, a Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Ann has helped build some of Silicon Valley's most iconic technology companies, such as Rival Inc, which was acquired by Ticketmaster in 2020 and has served in operator roles at Uber, Twitter, and several mobility startups. She uses her operator superpowers to help visionary founders design and grow their companies to scale. She's also been an active angel investor in many female founders.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of in...
2023-01-1031 minSeed to HarvestAwesome People Ventures Founding Partner Julia Lipton on Joining the Startup Track, The Culture and Storytelling of Quixey, and Julia’s Craziest Moment in Web3 | Seed To Harvest Ep44Send us a textToday, I’m joined by Julia Lipton, the Founding Partner of Awesome People Ventures. She was previously the first business hire and Director of Marketing at Quixey in 2011. Julia was also the Head of Growth at Rise and the Head of Virtual Visits at One Medical Group. Furthermore, she founded Soundboard, which offers high touch advising for venture-backed startups. Julia currently is the Founding Partner of Awesome People Ventures that invests in awesome people doing awesome things in Web3.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a di...
2022-12-2029 minSeed to HarvestTQ Ventures Investor Jana Iris on Developing Community Experiences Inspired By Burning Man, Her Tech Career at HashiCorp as a “Non-Technical” Talent, and Making Her First Angel Investment | Seed To Harvest Ep43Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Jana Iris. She’s a coffee lover, start-up advisor and investor. Since 2008, she’s been an early employee of startups, including Engine Yard, New Relic, and HashiCorp, focused on building their developer communities. In 2022, she switched gears into angel investing and advising companies like S...
2022-12-1330 minSeed to HarvestHow We Plan, Produce and Publish Seed To Harvest : The Podcasters Guide To Getting Started | Seed To Harvest Ep42Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.In this episode, I’ll share the inspiration, our process, the reason behind our podcast creation decisions including our tech stack. I’ll start with our idea generation + move through pre-production, editing, review, and publishing. We’re getting tactical today!00:00 Welcome To Seed To Harves...
2022-12-0623 minSeed to HarvestVitalize VC Investor Gale Wilkinson on Time Management Strategies For Deep Focus, Considerations for Round Valuation, Term Sheets and Harnessing The Power of Crystals | Seed To Harvest Ep 41Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Gale Wilkinson, General Partner at Vitalize VC. After graduating with her degree in marketing, she consulted CPG companies on new product launches. After starting two businesses, she started an angel network in 2012, la...
2022-11-2924 minSeed to HarvestFoundry Group Investor Jaclyn Hester on Capital Call Best Practices, Being An Investor Outside Typical Tech Hubs and Planting Seeds Through a “Give First” Mentality Inspired By Venture Deals Author Brad Feld | Seed To Harvest Ep40Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Jaclyn Hester, Partner at Foundry Group. At Foundry, Jaclyn leads direct investments in early-stage companies. She operates with a passion for supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and investors. Since 2016, Ja...
2022-11-2233 minSeed to HarvestVillage Global Co-founder Anne Dwane on Founding Networks Versus Building Networks, How Chegg’s Name Originated From “The Chicken or the Egg” Question, and Supporting The Ecosystem Through Scout Programs | Seed To Harvest Ep39Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Anne Dwane from Village Global, an early stage venture fund backed by some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos, Sara Blakely, Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman, Magic Johnson and...
2022-11-1536 minSeed to HarvestRed Beard Ventures Investor Elana Dickman on her Path into Venture and Making 200 Investments Through a Syndicate with Red Beard Founder Drew Austin | Seed To Harvest Ep38Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today I'm joined by my good friend Elana Dickman, an investor at Red Beard Ventures. She started her career at top consulting firms such as KPMG and Deloitte. She has built a reputation for herself as a content creator with her podcast, The Girls Table, where Web3 individuals...
2022-11-0827 minSeed to HarvestNight Ventures Investor Emily Herrera on Investing as a Form of Curation, Comparing Star Signs, and Our Favorite “OG” Youtubers | Seed To Harvest Ep37Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Emily Herrera, creator and investor from Night Ventures. If you don’t already know Emily from Twitter, you may know her from her previous roles as the Regional Community Lead for Built By G...
2022-11-0134 minSeed to HarvestVice President of Verdis Investment Management Jamie Rhode on Using A Data Driven Approach to Capture Unicorns and Evaluating Emerging Managers As An LP | Seed To Harvest Ep36Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Jamie Rhode, Vice President at Verdis Investment Management where she’s focused on venture capital, private equity, and hedge fund investment sourcing and due diligence. She joined Verdis from Bloomberg, where she held...
2022-10-2530 minSeed to HarvestFounding Partner of Banana Capital Turner Novak on Strategies For Investing In eCommerce platforms in Emerging Markets and His Philosophy for Scaling His Venture Team | Seed To Harvest Ep35Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Turner Novak, Founding Partner of Banana Capital. Turner launched Banana Capital in 2021. Prior, he ran all venture capital investing at Gelt VC and invested their second fund. Prior to Gelt, Turner was a member of the investment team at Afore Capital, where he in...
2022-10-1827 minSeed to HarvestManaging Partner at Precursor Ventures Charles Hudson On Raising a $73 Million Fund and Prioritizing People | Seed to Harvest Ep34Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by Charles Hudson is the Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, a classic seed stage investment firm based out of San Francisco, CA. Charles is a serial entrepreneur, previously founding Bionic Panda Games, 3rd Power LLC, and CH3 Media Holdings. Prior to founding Precursor Ve...
2022-10-1133 minSeed to HarvestJLabs LLC CEO Judy Estrin on Using Environmental Ecosystems to Understand Innovation, Generational Changes in Communication and Comparing Basic Research to Applied Research in Product Development | Seed To Harvest Ep33Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Today, I’m joined by one of our investors Judy Estrin, CEO of JLABS LLC and co-founder for 8 technology companies since 1981. In the 1970s, she helped create the internet working with Vint Cerf to develop TCP/IP at...
2022-10-0433 minSeed to HarvestHustle Fund GP Elizabeth Yin on Scaling Your Fund Strategy From Fund I to Fund II and Building An Investor’s Oasis with Camp Hustle | Seed to Harvest Ep32Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On this episode I speak with Elizabeth Yin, Co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund. Previously, Elizabeth was a partner at 500 Startups. In a prior life, Elizabeth co-founded and ran an adtech company called LaunchBit. Elizabeth has reviewed over 30k startup pitches from around the world in the l...
2022-09-2741 minSeed to HarvestCo-founders of Biom Will Gahagan and Hank Schellenger on How Biom Beats Out Lysol and Clorox Wipes and How Apple Airpods Inspired Biom’s Patented Product Design | Seed To Harvest EP31Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On this episode, I speak with co-founders of Biom, Will Gahagan and Hank Schellenger. Biom creates the world's first biodegradable and home-compostable wipe system. Better for you, better for the planet. Will Gahagan and Hank Schellenger are passionate about reinventing stale, wasteful categories to protect and improve...
2022-09-2041 minSeed to HarvestLa Famiglia VC Judith Dada on Providing Excellent Service As An Investor and How La Famiglia Curated Their Personal Brand | Seed To Harvest Ep30Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On this episode, I speak with La Famiglia VC, Judith Dada. Judith Dada, general partner at La Famiglia, an early-stage venture firm backed by leading tech entrepreneurs across Europe and the U.S. Previously she worked as a solutions manager for Facebook and lead Facebook’s venture pro...
2022-09-1324 minSeed to HarvestFounder of Gen Z VCs Meagan Loyst on Building A Global Community of Investors, Hosting Events and Developing Your Own Perspective As An Investor | Seed To Harvest Ep29Send us a text]Seed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Meagan Loyst founded Gen Z VCs, a global community centered around empowering the next generation of leaders in venture capital, growing it to more than 11,000 members since November 2020. The youngest investor at Lerer Hippeau, she's sourced and helped lead three investments, working with 12 portfolio companies. Loyst's Gen...
2022-09-0623 minSeed to HarvestBeezer Clarkson, General Partner at Sapphire Ventures, on Demystifying the LP Perspective With Open LP, Portfolio Construction, and Fundraising Advice for GPs | Seed To Harvest Ep28Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.In the 28th episode of Seed to Harvest, Paige Doherty interviews Beezer Clarkson, General Partner at Sapphire Partners. Beezer leads Sapphire Partners‘ investments in venture funds domestically and internationally.Beezer began her career in financial services over 20 years ago at Morgan Stanley in its global in...
2022-08-3024 minSeed to HarvestNathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite.com, on How To Create Proactive Investor Updates, His Passion For Sailing and Giving A Memorable Pitch To Investors | Seed To Harvest Ep 27Send us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.In the 27th episode of Seed to Harvest, Paige Doherty interviews Nathan Beckord, founder of Foundersuite.com. Nathan helps startups with strategy, finance, BD, and venture/exit issues. He has been described as a “wingman to startup CEOs” and as a “Biz Dev / CFO to go.” He likes pi...
2022-08-2326 minSeed to HarvestCindy Bi, General Partner at Capital X, on Investing In 12 Unicorn Start-ups, Comparing Specialist and Generalist Investing, and Making The Most Of Networking Events | Seed To Harvest S2 Ep13Send us a textIn this episode, Cindy Bi, Founding Partner of Capital X, shares about her experience investing in 12 unicorn companies including Cruise, Rippling, and Zapier. We chat about her personal experience investing in founders she meets at networking events. Also, the decision framework behind becoming a specialist investor or generalist investor.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, a children's book about venture.
2022-08-1629 minSeed to HarvestNik Sharma, CEO Of Sharma Brands, on Launching Mr. Beast’s Chocolate Bar, D2C Brands, Creating A Positive Team Culture, and Building A Twitter Following To Over 135K | Seed To Harvest S2 Ep12Send us a textIn this episode, Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands shares about launching D2C and other celebrity brands such as Mr. Beast’s chocolate bar, Feastables, and Chamberlain Coffee. We chat about how he has built his Twitter following to over 135K followers and how the Real Housewives of Orange County relate to his philosophy on team building. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of...
2022-08-0919 minSeed to HarvestAshley Flucas, Founder of Flucas Ventures, on Deploying $80 Million In Two Years, Preventing Burnout and Community Driven Deal Flow Across Late Stage and Early Stage Investments | Seed To Harvest S2 Ep11Send us a textIn this episode, Ashley Flucas, Founder of Flucas Ventures, shares how her interest in venture started after reading the book, the Monk and the Riddle as a fresh law school graduate. Since transitioning to venture almost two years ago, Ashley has helped invest $80 million in start-ups across India, Pakistan, North America, West Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and more. We chat about how Ashley structures her day to prevent burnout, traveling to 85 countries, and community driven deal flow. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse a...
2022-08-0221 minSeed to HarvestFounder and Creator of Out of Pocket Nikhil Krishnan on Memes, Using Humor To Explain The Healthcare System, And The Process Behind Self-Publishing An Illustrated Children’s Book | Seed To Harvest S2 Ep10Send us a textIn this episode, I speak with Nikhil Krishnan, Founder and Creator of Out of Pocket, an online blog trying to make healthcare more accessible through humorous memes explaining the healthcare system. Nikhil and I talk about the logistics behind becoming a children’s book author, the biggest issues in healthcare today, using unprofessional writing styles to educate readers and not limiting your potential based on traditional career paths.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Do...
2022-07-2625 minSeed to HarvestCEO of BAM and Emmy Award Winner Beck Bamberger on Why Media Training Is Essential, Living Life By Design Not Default, and Working with NBC and FOX | Seed To Harvest S2 Ep9Send us a textIn this episode, I speak with Beck Bamberger, CEO at BAM, on her experiences graduating with her MBA at 21 years old, winning an Emmy Award, working with technology clients, her transition from writing copy for NBC News to airing her show on FOX, why it’s important to prioritize media training, and identifying the opportunity “ladder” to help bring value to yourself and your business.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partne...
2022-07-1924 minSeed to HarvestThe Essential Guide to Syndicates | Seed to Harvest S2 Ep8Send us a textIn this special episode, I share about how I started my first syndicate, the process and logistics behind running a syndicate, my pathway to venture and the inspiration behind starting my own venture firm, Behind Genius Ventures. If you are an investor, aspiring investor, or interested in starting a syndicate, I would recommend listening to this episode.Thank you to our sponsors at Assure for supporting this episode. To learn more about Assure, visit assure.co. Mention that you heard about them on Paige Doherty’s podcast.Seed to Ha...
2022-07-1230 min
Clock Speed with Shamus MadanThe Gen-Z Fund Manager Investing In Early-Stage Founders w/ Paige Finn Doherty (GP)In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Paige Finn Doherty about her venture into venture capital and her plans for Behind Genius Ventures. They discuss the importance of cold emailing, the use of social media for content creation, and the impact of macroeconomics on early-stage markets. Paige also shares her advice for first-time fund managers and how COVID-19 affected VC strategies.
Welcome everyone to another episode of the MBIT Podcast, I am your host Shamus Madan, and today Paige Finn Doherty joins to discuss her firm Behind Genius Ventures (BGV), which is investing in early-stage product-led growth companies in...
2022-07-1130 minSeed to HarvestCEO of Winnie, Sara Mauskopf, on Building A Data Focused Childcare Marketplace, Fundraising as a Pregnant Super-mom, and Finding Product Market FitSend us a textIn this episode, I speak with Sarah Mauskopf, CEO of Winnie, on creating a marketplace to support parents and childcare providers, and her experiences in product management at Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Postmates. Also, her experience finding product market fit for her own company and fundraising as a pregnant super-momSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, a children's book about...
2022-07-0523 minSeed to HarvestCEO of Grid110 Miki Reynolds on Supporting the Development of the Los Angeles Start-up Ecosystem, Transitioning from Large Corporations and Leveraging Community PartnershipsSend us a textIn this episode, I speak with Miki Reynolds, CEO of Grid110, on supporting the development of the early stage startup ecosystem in Los Angeles, transitioning from her roles at MGM Studios and 20th Century Fox to running an early stage start-up accelerator, and building community programs to support founder success.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, a children's book about...
2022-06-2825 minSeed to HarvestGeneral Partner of Calm Company Fund Tyler Tringas on Managing Fund Economics, Writing Online and Constructing Conferences Around Building ConnectionsSend us a textIn this episode, I speak with General Partner at Calm Company Fund Tyler Tringas about creating a venture fund model committed to sustainable growth, operating asynchronously, mitigating capital constraints within a management company, and the reason why Calm Company Fund and SureSwift Capital started the annual conference, Founder Summit.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, a children's book about venture.
2022-06-2129 minSeed to HarvestFounding a Venture Firm in Our 20s: Learnings from Behind Genius Ventures Fund 1 with Josh Schlisserman & Paige DohertySend us a textIn this episode, I speak with Josh Schlisserman, one of the founding partners of Behind Genius Ventures, about the lessons we learned starting our first venture fund in our 20’s, the timeless friendships we’ve made along the way, and the challenges we’ve overcome. If you’re an emerging manager or thinking of starting your own fund, I definitely recommend listening to this episode.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner...
2022-06-1438 minSeed to HarvestGeorgia Social Impact Collaborative Director Lavonya Jones on Teaching in the Metaverse, Investor Role Models, Coaching Sustainable Success in Founders, and Creating Opportunities for Diverse StudentsSend us a textIn this episode, I speak with Lavonya Jones, Director of the Georgia Social Impact Collaborative, about teaching college courses in the Metaverse, her investor role models, her growth coaching model for founders, and her impactful work in historically Black colleges and Hispanic serving institutions.Seed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults. Lavonya J...
2022-06-0721 minSeed to HarvestMolly Wood on Journalism to Venture Capital, Buzz Out Loud, Podcasting, and Investing in Climate Start-upsSend us a textOn this episode, I speak with Molly Wood, newly minted VC at Launch and podcast co-host for This Week in Start-ups, about how 20 years of journalism helped her identify powerful storytellers. We also discuss how impactful narratives within historical fiction teaches pattern recognition, and the sense of community behind podcasting. Seed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's b...
2022-05-3122 minSeed to HarvestGaby Goldberg on Club Penguin, Virgil Abloh, Investing in Web3, Launching a Pallet Board, and Internet Native CuratorsSend us a textWe're back with Season 2 of Seed to Harvest! In our first episode, we catch up with Gaby Goldberg, early stage investor at The Chernin Group about club penguin, virgil abloh, investing in web3, launching a Pallet board, and internet native curators. Gaby is currently an investor at the Chernin Group, focusing on the intersection of crypto x consumer. Previously, she was an investor at Bessemer & Chapter One. Seed to Harvest is a weekly podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige F...
2022-05-2424 minSeed to HarvestLamppost Capital GP Luke Girgis on Bringing Rolling Stone to Australia, Parallels of Investing and Talent Management, Investing with Alexis Ohanian and Simone GiertzSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our thirteenth episode, I speak with Luke Girgis, the CEO of The Brag Media and Lamppost Capital GP, about his artist and record executive career, bringing Rolling Stone to Australia (along with many other media brands...
2022-03-2525 minSeed to HarvestSutton Capital GP Joel Palathinkal on Investing in Unicorns, Emerging Managers, and Punk Rock DrummingSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our twelfth episode, I speak with BGV LP Dr. Joel Palathinkal about his journey from punk rock drummer to running a fund accelerator for emerging managers. Joel is the CEO at Sutton Capital, a firm focused...
2022-03-1824 minSeed to HarvestAutomatter Author Halle Kaplan-Allen on Writing about Venture Operations, DAOs, Creator Expansion, and Ecosystem OperationsSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our eleventh episode, I speak with Halle Kaplan-Allen about Twitter, venture operations, being outside Silicon Valley, the verticalization of creators, our thoughts on DAOs, venture ecosystem operations and generally getting into the weeds of venture. Halle...
2022-03-1127 minSeed to HarvestHardware x Gaming Special: The Last Gameboard CEO Shail Mehta x Aviron CEO Andy Hoang on Supply Chain, Gaming Magic, and Founder AdviceSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our tenth episode, I speak with two BGV portfolio founders, Shail and Andy, about Supply Chain, Gaming Magic, and Founder Advice. Shail Mehta is the CEO of The Last Gameboard, a digital tabletop gaming platform ba...
2022-02-2532 minSeed to HarvestStripe Head of Americas Revenue & Growth Jeanne Grosser on Early Days at Google, Building Sales Teams, and Funnel MathSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our ninth episode, I speak with Jeanne DeWitt Grosser, head of Americas revenue and growth at Stripe, about her experience early at Stripe and Google, advice on building a sales team, and being a global...
2022-02-1831 minSeed to HarvestPodcast Host & Inside Exec Landon Campbell on Interviewing Woz, How to Start a Podcast, and ConsistencySend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our eighth episode, I speak with Landon Campbell, the host of In Their 20s, about how to start a podcast, the importance of consistency, and finding alignment. He’s shared episodes with Steve Wozniak, Ev...
2022-02-1131 minSeed to HarvestInitialized GP Alda Leu Dennis on Negotiating Term Sheets, Contrarian Investing with Peter Thiel, and Financial InclusionSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our seventh episode, I speak with Alda Leu Dennis, the General Partner at Initialized Capital about negotiating term sheets, being the general council at Founders Fund, her investing inspirations Peter Thiel and Garry Tan, and the...
2022-02-0424 minSeed to HarvestRenegade Partners GP Roseanne Wincek on Navigating Cofounder Relationships and a Scientific Approach to VentureSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.In our sixth episode, I speak with Roseanne Wincek. Roseanne Wincek, one of the cofounders and managing director at Renegade Partners, is originally from Cleveland. Once set on nabbing a Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, instead she...
2022-01-2925 minSeed to HarvestTech x Hollywood Special: Human Ventures GP Heather Hartnett x Film Producer Siena ObermanSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.On our fifth episode, I chose to do a special collaboration between award-winning film producer Siena Oberman & renowned venture capital investor Heather Hartnett. In this conversation, we explore the similarities & differences fundraising as a film producer vs...
2022-01-2138 minSeed to HarvestRareBreed GP Mac Conwell on Building Community, Fundraising, and Founder AdviceSend us a textSeed to Harvest is a new podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.In our fourth episode, I speak with Mac Conwell. Mac Conwell is the founding partner of RareBreed Ventures, a former entrepreneur, Kaufmann fellow and enthusiastic drag racer. On this episode, we focus on navigating fundraising, advice for...
2022-01-1539 min