#15 Unshackling the Next Generation of Venture Capitalists

09/24/19 • 57 min

Venture capital (VC) has been a highly visible part of the growth of many well-known companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Rent the Runway, 23 and Me, among many others. But, while VC has been very helpful for some entrepreneurs, the industry is focused on a small percentage of businesses with high growth potential: in fact, only 0.6 percent of businesses ever raise VC. Venture Capital is also very concentrated, out of all the venture capital spent, 78 percent is spent in three states New York, Massachusetts, and California. But as these areas become more and more saturated, venture capitalists are starting to pay attention to startups located outside traditional tech hubs.

Last week, we hosted a fireside chat with two of these venture capitalists who are traveling across the country to meet with entrepreneurs, investors and key stakeholders in the startup community. Join us as we talk startups and early-stage investing with Nitin Pachisia, Founding Partner of Unshackled Ventures, a Venture Firm that recently raised its second $20M fund and is investing exclusively in immigrant founders, and Ben Bayat, Managing Partner of NextGen Venture Partners, a network-driven venture capital fund whose latest fund is $60 million dollars.

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#14 Kevin Moore - Spur Capital

Access to capital continues to be one of the main barriers to entry for entrepreneurs. With 80 percent of startups never accessing traditional loans and less than .6 percent of startups ever accessing venture capital funds, entrepreneurs are struggling to find financial resources to launch and scale their companies. This is particularly true for entrepreneurs of color and female entrepreneurs.

In this new series of the StitchCrew Changemakers Podcast, we’ll be talking to early-stage investors who can help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of accessing capital and fundraising.

Join us as we talk to Kevin Moore, Partner at Spur Capital, a venture capital funds of funds and author of How to Start Your Own Venture Investment Fund.

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#16 Kathy Taylor - Angel Investor, Entrepreneur and Policy Maker

When it comes to fundraising, Venture Capitalist tend to get most of the attention, but in reality, most first time checks for startups actually come from angel investors, not VCs. Angel investors are basically wealthy people who like to invest in early stage startups - in other words, they are people that can financially afford to lose their investment, without impacting their lifestyle. Most angel investors were once founders. They sold their company and now have capital to invest in other companies. Those often turn out to be great investors because they get it, they’ve been in the ring. Kathy Taylor is one of those angel investors. After earning her bachelors and juris doctorate Kathy began her career as an attorney. She then became Vice President and General Counsel of Thrifty Car Rental and later bought National Car Rental from General Motors using her family’s savings. Kathy eventually sold the company with her husband and started the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation - a philanthropic foundation focused on supporting local entrepreneurs. Kathy is also known for her public service, serving as Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma and later as State Secretary of Commerce, Tourism, and Workforce. Given her own experience in business, politics and government, Kahty is unapologetic about investing in and advocating for women through her personal and philanthropic investments. Join us as we learn more about her story and investment philosophy.