DrinksWithAVC (DWAVC)

We filmed this episode back in May, before Bree welcomed a new life into the world and before Vik lost his mother. A lot has changed since then. As we release it now, it feels more relevant than ever. Drinks With a VC has always been about more than startups and term sheets. It’s about the humans behind the headlines, the resilience it takes to build, the humility to grow, the clarity to catch the next wave, and the wisdom to know when to let one go.

There’s no better guest to rejoin the conversation with than Tae Hea Nahm. He is the founding managing director of Storm Ventures, co-author of Survival to Thrival, and a deeply thoughtful investor, operator, and teacher. From St. Louis to Seoul to Sand Hill Road, Tae Hea has seen it all, and he continues to anticipate the next wave before most founders even paddle out.

In this episode, we dive into his Path to Surfing Unicorn framework and why founders need to anticipate the wave before they try to surf it if they want to build category-defining companies.

We also get into:

🌊 How to ride, and switch, the right market wave
🤖 Where AI startups should play in the stack (and what layers are getting crushed)
🚨 Real talk on platform risk and why Google’s bundling may change the game
📈 A founder-friendly definition of product-market fit, plus three signs your customers are truly happy
🧠 Why empathy isn’t optional, and how customer discovery really works
🧑‍💼 How founder-CEOs evolve, and how to know when they can’t
📊 How to use advisors the right way, including what equity to grant them
💸 The fundraising two-step: win a champion, then arm them with a killer one-pager

Also: green juice, soju, seaweed soup, Civilization V, and one of our biggest unboxing gifts ever (yes, it’s a surfboard).

👇 Must-have links and founder resources:
🧭 Survival to Thrival (free downloads): https://www.survivaltothrival.com/
📖 The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey by Andrew Ackerman: http://bit.ly/4kfrtKu
📊 Cap table management done right: www.fidelityprivateshares.com
🚀 The Irresistible Startup fundraising guide: https://www.taylorstreetco.com/irresistible-startup
🤖 Meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot: https://www.taylorstreetco.com/meet-ira
🗞 Sign up for our monthly newsletter: www.dwavc.com
🎧 Like, subscribe, and share if this one resonates.
🏄 Keep your eyes on the wave.

📺 Episode chapters:
00:22 Introduction and Welcome
00:44 Sponsor Message: Fidelity Private Chairs
01:06 Catch-Up with Brie
01:51 Introducing Today's Guest: Te
04:08 Te's Early Life and Education
07:51 Choosing a Career Path
11:20 Immigration Experience in St. Louis
20:38 Founding Venture Law Group
23:11 Investing and Founding Storm Ventures
27:26 The Surfing Analogy for Startups
28:26 VC Unboxing Segment
33:59 AI and the Future of Investment
38:59 The Importance of Platform Choice
42:01 Customer Discovery and Empathy
44:24 Closing Thoughts and Reflections
45:28 Empathy for the Customer
46:06 The Decline of Customer Empathy
46:37 Exercising the Empathy Muscle
47:14 Teaching Customer Empathy
50:16 Defining Product-Market Fit
50:53 Identifying Happy Customers
54:17 The Founder to Manager Transition
55:06 The Role of Founder CEOs
57:30 Learning from Failures
01:02:47 The Importance of Mentors
01:08:07 Advice on Fundraising
01:13:18 Qualifying Your Inner Circle
01:17:15 The Fidelity Five Questions
01:20:55 Unboxing the Gifts
01:21:40 Final Thoughts and Cheers

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

In this episode of DrinksWithAVC, we sit down with Oakland-native Drew Glover, Co-Founder of Fiat Growth and General Partner at Fiat Ventures, for a masterclass on identity, resilience, and rewriting the rules of venture capital.

Over green juice and kombucha, Drew reflects on growing up with civically minded parents, early lessons in code-switching, and the mindset shifts that carried him from Cal Football to operator roles at startups like Steady, to co-founding a growth consultancy and eventually becoming a mission-driven investor.

You’ll learn how to:

• Nail your fundraising story by focusing on your customer—not your ego
• Build trust with investors (especially if you don’t fit the “Stanford founder” mold)
• Spot startup opportunities that serve overlooked communities
• Use emotional intelligence as a strategic advantage in leadership and venture
• Move from operator to capital allocator with clarity and intention
• Develop a go-to-market strategy and scale user acquisition using the Chime playbook

Drew also offers an unflinching take on the rise and retreat of DEI in venture, why mandates miss the mark, and how his fund continues to outperform without one—because diversity is embedded in who they are.

If you're building something meaningful and want to stand out in a crowded market, this is a must-listen.

Episode links:
www.fiat.vc
www.fiatgrowth.com

Episode timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Drinks With a VC
02:34 Meet Drew Glover: The Pride of Bishop O'Dowd
02:47 Choosing Green Juice Over Alcohol
03:14 The Trend of Drinking Less Alcohol
03:50 Drew's Drink of Choice: Vodka Martinis
04:37 Digital Detox and Drinking Habits
06:09 Bree's Big Reveal: Sobriety and Pregnancy
07:23 Growing Up in Oakland: Drew's Background
07:55 Drew's Parents: Civic-Minded and Inspirational
15:24 The Importance of Code Switching
18:24 Drew's Journey to Cal and Football
23:56 From Football to Venture Capital
25:23 Starting Fiat Growth and Fiat VC
35:36 Fundraising and the Impact of DEI
37:26 The Future of Venture Capital
45:17 The Shift Around Race and Education
45:38 Catastrophic Events and Positive Change
45:57 Diversity in Venture Capital
46:32 Drew's Impressive Portfolio
46:55 The Importance of Representation
48:46 Balancing Good and Success
50:05 Future of Inclusion and Change
52:03 Advice for Underrepresented Founders
52:33 Building Your Own Solutions
54:40 Growth Marketing Fundamentals
55:15 Distribution as a Competitive Moat
56:53 Fiat Growth's Unique Approach
01:05:53 Understanding Customer Personas
01:10:53 Diligence in Venture Capital
01:15:42 Personal Insights and Reflections

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

What do tiddlywinks, a quarter trick, and a failed Palantir deal have in common? They all show up in Andrew Ackerman’s one-of-a-kind path from founder to family office director, accelerator operator, and venture capitalist to now SPV syndicate lead and author.  

Andrew pulls no punches on what most startups get wrong — from pitch decks that waste space to market slides that make investors roll their eyes. He shares lessons learned from backing 70+ startups on how to actually stand out in a noisy fundraising environment, why EdTech broke his heart, and how day drinking helped him write The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey — a startup guide founders might actually finish.

Also in this episode:

- His “accidental” real estate empire
- EdTech’s big COVID moment (and what came after)
- The one thing every founder should know about market sizing
- And yes, Andrew answers the Fidelity Five Questions.

If you’ve ever wondered what VCs really think when they see your deck — this one’s for you!

Episode links:
www.AndrewBAckerman.com
Entrepreneur's Odyssey

Episode timestamps:
00:00 DWAVC Episode: Andrew Ackerman
03:28 Guest Introduction and Background
05:25 March Madness Predictions
07:42 Andrew's Origin Story
16:18 Parenting in the Digital Age
30:27 Andrew's Unique Skills
31:01 Discussing the New Book
31:52 Inspiration Behind the Book
32:15 Writing Process and Challenges
37:23 Character Development
40:37 Market Sizing and Go-to-Market Strategies
44:14 Importance of Value Proposition
01:13:52 Fundraising Insights
01:15:27 Navigating VC Funding Strategies
01:17:19 Challenges for Non-Ivy League Founders
01:20:09 Importance of Warm Intros
01:22:33 Accessing Capital Outside Major Hubs
01:24:37 The Role of Location in Startup Success
01:27:09 Influence of Science Fiction on Entrepreneurship
01:29:56 The Rise of PropTech
01:41:28 Fidelity Five Questions

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

In this episode of Drinks With a VC, co-hosts Vik Lakhwara and Bree Hanson are joined by Arun Mittal, co-founder of MBM Capital. Arun discusses his journey from receiving an electrical engineering degree from Stanford and co-founding Chutney Technologies to leading turnarounds and investing in distressed startups. He speaks candidly about the lessons learned from his failures and shares insights into the unique investment thesis of MBM Capital, which focuses on revitalizing startups that have hit roadblocks. The conversation covers the challenges of revamping companies, the importance of recognizing executional flaws, and providing strategic guidance to unlock hidden value. Arun also touches on his involvement with LedgerX, the state of venture capital, and the importance of knowing oneself and asking for help. Don't miss this enlightening and refreshingly transparent discussion on the realities of turning around struggling ventures.

Links 

https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com/

https://www.mbmcapital.co/

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

Get ready for a rollercoaster of an episode! This week on DrinksWithAVC, Bree and Vik are joined by the multi-talented founder and GP of Oncology Ventures, Ben Freeberg. Ben shares his inspiring journey from active 24-year old pursuing a career in finance and dabbling in comedy in NYC, to an unexpected cancer diagnosis in Israel, overcoming adversity, mixing humor with resilience, and turning challenges into triumphs. Laugh, cry, and learn alongside us as Ben shows how to juggle Chinese Devil Sticks, pitch your healthcare startup like a pro, and gives his hot takes on everything from the intersection of AI & healthcare to the similarities between comedy and venture capital.

Links:
www.oncology.ventures
Ben's Substack
Chaos Isn't An Excuse TED Talk
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

From growing up as a quiet kid in New Jersey and biking across the US in support of affordable housing, to moving west to join Salesforce and eventually becoming a partner at Scale Venture Partners, Jeremy Kaufmann shares his compassion-filled adventure with Bree and Vik while sipping The Dude's drink of choice: A White Russian. If you are building or investing in AI, grab some of your favorite vodka, add cream and Kahula, shake with ice, and settle in for his perspective on where everything is headed. Be sure to stay for his hot takes on introverts, decision making, teamwork in venture capital, and of course, his answers to the Fidelity Five Questions.

www.scalevp.com
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

Join us for an exciting episode featuring Amy Cheetham, partner at Costanoa Ventures. From mucking stalls in rural Maine to making the Forbes 2023 Brink List, Amy’s journey is both inspiring and insightful. Bree & Vik dive into her favorite Italian dishes, the challenges of startup life, and her passion for mental health advocacy. Amy shares valuable advice on the importance of curiosity, her thoughts on the impact of AI in fintech and healthcare, and gives her unfiltered opinion on the significance of diversity on boards. Be sure to stay to the very end when Amy pours out some wine for the one startup that got away!

Links:
www.costanoa.vc
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc
www.crisistextline.org

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

Pour a mint julep and join us on DrinksWithAVC as we dive into the dynamic world of Leshika Samarasinghe, founder and GP at Twine Ventures. In this episode, Leshika recounts her beginnings at Google, where she was instrumental in developing core platforms like mobile search and Blogger. She also shares insights from her time at ARPA-E, where under President Obama’s administration, she worked on pioneering energy projects. Now at Twine Ventures, she's dedicated to investing in startups that leverage AI, data, and software to revolutionize healthcare, climate tech, and financial services.

Be sure to listen/watch until the very end as Leshika does not hold back in our Fidelity Five Questions segment, sharing answers that are as refreshing as her drink of choice!

Links:
www.twineventures.com
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

Pour your favorite champagne and join us in toasting Touring Capital's co-founder and GP, Priya Saiprasad! Learn how Priya's nomadic childhood created her superpower, how she took the leap from established firms like M12 and Softbank Vision to start her own fund, and how she weighs team dynamics when evaluating growth-stage startups. The former Forbes 30 under 30 venture capitalist gives us a fascinating look behind the scenes at what it's like to work for Jack Dorsey from her time at Square and doesn't hold back when answering our Fidelity Five Questions.

Links:
www.touringcapital.com
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter

Settle in with a Sazerac for the latest installment of DrinksWithAVC, brought to you by Fidelity for Startups! Vik and Bree cover it all with St. Louis-based globe trotter, low-key adrenalin junkie, and venture capitalist Dan Conner. Dan relives harrowing moments on the slopes, talks about the books and quantamental approach that influenced his investment thesis, and shares his story from field engineer to building Ascend Venture Capital.

Links:
www.ascendstl.com
Dan's article on how startups can standout: Entrepreneur Magazine
How to make your own sazerac

Sponsors:
Fidelity for Startups Cap Table Management
Ravix Group Startup Accounting & Finance Services 

📊 Cap table management needs? Check out Fidelity Private Shares
🚀 Fundraising help: Download The Irresistible Startup
🤖 …or meet Ira, the Irresistible Startup Bot
🗞 Stay in the loop: Sign up for our monthly newsletter