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030: Is Impact Investing a Win-Win? Positive for Your Portfolio and Society, too? with Michael Pierce
Dine And Design Series Part VI
“As a venture capitalist, you can't just keep paying lip service to these problems, you have to actively do something.” -Michael Pierce
Episode Description:
Post-seed investment is the most underrated stage of investing. Post-seed investment is a venture capital investment that comes after a startup's initial "seed" round. New startups often raise a seed round after launching their product to gather the funding they need to grow their operations and help their companies grow fast enough to make them valuable. The seed funding stage that preceded it was good at getting companies started but not very good at helping them thereafter, which explains why most startups never get past the early stage. They’re at a point where they need a large amount of money to get past key milestones necessary to attract later-stage growth capital or a buyer. Wherever possible, growth needs to be funded with equity rather than debt. This way companies can benefit not just from the money, but from a new way of life.
In this week’s episode, Digi Ventures founder, Michael Pierce, answers how investors decide which companies to invest in. Michael started Digi Ventures to provide assistance to companies that are focused on developing solutions and products that are meaningful, sustainable, and create repeatable revenue.
Listen as Justine, Bridget, and Michael explain the world of impact investing to a broader audience and explain why impact investing should be so enticing for venture capitalists and angel investors looking to affect change. The trio also talks about why the organic food space is a good choice to invest in, things to look for in a company before you invest, the challenges that come with this opportunity, and how this can mean so much more in terms of solving the food security crisis. Tune in to realize the potential that impact investing has to transform our food system.
Connect with Michael Pierce:
Michael is a well-respected investor in Los Angeles. As an entrepreneur he co-founded Pierce Williams Entertainment and Zero Gravity Management, which produced and financed 10 feature films with combined revenues over $200m, including the Oscar-nominated film The Cooler.
His investment interests have evolved over the last 15 years. His roots lie in his Canadian business of oil/gas and real estate, but his keen eye for returns moved his focus to public market equities in the late 2000s. His returns on technology-related stocks surpassed his other investments and he shifted his attention to this area as an investor.
In 2011, Michael was a founding partner of venture capital firm, WPSChallenger. Most recently, Michael has gotten closer to the source of innovation by backing technology founders directly as an Angel Investor in LA. His diverse and entrepreneurial background gives him a distinct perspective on new businesses and a unique ability to identify and support talented exceptional founders. Recently, he made a return to the content space as the CEO of the new OTT platform, Raw Milk.
Michael has a BA from The University of Western Ontario and an LLB from University College London. Michael currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two young kids.
Website
Connect with Bridget Cooper (Co-Host, Dine & Design):
A native of NZ, Bridget Cooper moved to NY when she was 18 to pursue a career in Interior Design. This journey started a life of international jet set for Cooper, as travel became the source of inspiration and resource for herself and so many of her clients.
Her innate ability to seek out the extraordinary is the foundation for curating layered interiors and unforgettable experiences. This has built her a reputation in the design world as the “one in the know” and “to know”.
Bridget’s interior work ranges from chic high-rise apartments in Chicago and NY to modern farmhouses in Northern California. In recent years, Bridget Cooper has expanded her creative talents working on many commercial projects and events creating unforgettable experiences on both big and small scales. Bridget delights in over-thinking every detail and loves pushing the boundaries to keep things fresh and unexpected.
Currently, Bridget and her husband Rob have moved from SF to Ojai, Ca (a small town north of Los Angeles) where they are building Iverson House.
Website
Connect with NextGenChef:
Website
YouTube
NextGenChef App (Apple)
NextGenChef App (Android)
Episode Highlights:
00:35 The Interest in the Organic Food Space
06:10 Where Investment is Most Needed
13:01 Things to Look for When Investing
18:03 The Challenges
22:17 Equal Access to Good Food
27:19 What Is Truly Lacking
29:25 Believe in the Process
View all episodes
By Justine Reichman
4.9
8282 ratings
Dine And Design Series Part VI
“As a venture capitalist, you can't just keep paying lip service to these problems, you have to actively do something.” -Michael Pierce
Episode Description:
Post-seed investment is the most underrated stage of investing. Post-seed investment is a venture capital investment that comes after a startup's initial "seed" round. New startups often raise a seed round after launching their product to gather the funding they need to grow their operations and help their companies grow fast enough to make them valuable. The seed funding stage that preceded it was good at getting companies started but not very good at helping them thereafter, which explains why most startups never get past the early stage. They’re at a point where they need a large amount of money to get past key milestones necessary to attract later-stage growth capital or a buyer. Wherever possible, growth needs to be funded with equity rather than debt. This way companies can benefit not just from the money, but from a new way of life.
In this week’s episode, Digi Ventures founder, Michael Pierce, answers how investors decide which companies to invest in. Michael started Digi Ventures to provide assistance to companies that are focused on developing solutions and products that are meaningful, sustainable, and create repeatable revenue.
Listen as Justine, Bridget, and Michael explain the world of impact investing to a broader audience and explain why impact investing should be so enticing for venture capitalists and angel investors looking to affect change. The trio also talks about why the organic food space is a good choice to invest in, things to look for in a company before you invest, the challenges that come with this opportunity, and how this can mean so much more in terms of solving the food security crisis. Tune in to realize the potential that impact investing has to transform our food system.
Connect with Michael Pierce:
Michael is a well-respected investor in Los Angeles. As an entrepreneur he co-founded Pierce Williams Entertainment and Zero Gravity Management, which produced and financed 10 feature films with combined revenues over $200m, including the Oscar-nominated film The Cooler.
His investment interests have evolved over the last 15 years. His roots lie in his Canadian business of oil/gas and real estate, but his keen eye for returns moved his focus to public market equities in the late 2000s. His returns on technology-related stocks surpassed his other investments and he shifted his attention to this area as an investor.
In 2011, Michael was a founding partner of venture capital firm, WPSChallenger. Most recently, Michael has gotten closer to the source of innovation by backing technology founders directly as an Angel Investor in LA. His diverse and entrepreneurial background gives him a distinct perspective on new businesses and a unique ability to identify and support talented exceptional founders. Recently, he made a return to the content space as the CEO of the new OTT platform, Raw Milk.
Michael has a BA from The University of Western Ontario and an LLB from University College London. Michael currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two young kids.
Website
Connect with Bridget Cooper (Co-Host, Dine & Design):
A native of NZ, Bridget Cooper moved to NY when she was 18 to pursue a career in Interior Design. This journey started a life of international jet set for Cooper, as travel became the source of inspiration and resource for herself and so many of her clients.
Her innate ability to seek out the extraordinary is the foundation for curating layered interiors and unforgettable experiences. This has built her a reputation in the design world as the “one in the know” and “to know”.
Bridget’s interior work ranges from chic high-rise apartments in Chicago and NY to modern farmhouses in Northern California. In recent years, Bridget Cooper has expanded her creative talents working on many commercial projects and events creating unforgettable experiences on both big and small scales. Bridget delights in over-thinking every detail and loves pushing the boundaries to keep things fresh and unexpected.
Currently, Bridget and her husband Rob have moved from SF to Ojai, Ca (a small town north of Los Angeles) where they are building Iverson House.
Website
Connect with NextGenChef:
Website
YouTube
NextGenChef App (Apple)
NextGenChef App (Android)
Episode Highlights:
00:35 The Interest in the Organic Food Space
06:10 Where Investment is Most Needed
13:01 Things to Look for When Investing
18:03 The Challenges
22:17 Equal Access to Good Food
27:19 What Is Truly Lacking
29:25 Believe in the Process
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