Ariana Thacker, founding partner at Conscience VC, dispels some myths about venture capital. Ariana talks about how entrepreneurial experience influences the investment playbook. She also shares her thoughts on qualities of a founder that she thinks are more important post-COVID.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[6:37] Is a bit more entrepreneurial experience a drawback?

[9:45] Why founders with non-traditional paths into venture are becoming more interesting to VCs

[12:01] Do you need an investor network for your company to get in front of investors?

[15:03] Barrier to entry litmus test

[18:38] Founder’s resourcefulness vs geographic location: Which is more important?

The non-profit organization that Ariana is passionate about: Society of Women Engineers

About Guest Speaker

Ariana Thacker is the Founding Partner at Conscience VC. Ariana is a technical investor with technical expertise spanning Fortune 500 companies to early-stage start-ups. She is also a community leader for diversity. She allocates 50% of her portfolio to diverse and female founders. Ariana tenured as President of Society of Women Engineers and is the founder of congressionally-recognized philanthropic organization.

Fun fact: Ariana writes poetry & rap

About Conscience VC

Conscience VC is a Miami-based early-stage fund pioneering the intersection of consumer and science.  Portfolio companies include Shapeways, Nimbus, Wave Life, Aqua Cultured Foods, Last Gameboard, Harmony Baby Nutrition among others.

Next Episode

In our next episode, we welcome Taylor Clauson, the Founder and Managing Partner at Abstraction Capital, to talk about how he builds conviction from the founder’s ‘why story’.

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