Brom Rector is the founder of Empath Ventures, a VC fund that in invests in early-stage psychedelics startups. Prior to founding Empath, Brom sent several years as a portfolio manager and quantitative researcher. Brom joins the show to discuss the current state of the psychedelics industry, the lessons learned founding a VC fund, the differences between psychedelics and cannabis, and a whole lot more. Important Links:

• Empath Ventures
• Brom’s LinkedIn
• Brom’s Twitter
• The Brom Podcast

Show Notes:

• How Brom became interested in psychedelic investing
• Psychedelics and the mental health epidemic
• Depoliticising psychedelics
• Empath Ventures’ business model
• How we can scientifically improve psychedelics
• The influence of hippie culture
• A contrarian view on Big Pharma
• The potential benefits of ibogaine
• The differences between cannabis and psychedelics
• Do some people not react to psychedelics?
• Brom’s thoughts on microdosing
• Lessons learned from founding a VC company
• The benefits of Rule 506(c)

Books Mentioned:

• How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence; by Michael Pollan
• Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection; by John E. Sarno MD