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Emerging Managers episodes
- Investing In Vertical AI With Alana Mann Of Eleven Wall Ventures
AI is vastly transforming the market landscape, and that includes the venture capital space. Scott Kelly sits down with Alana Mann of Eleven Wall Ventures, a seed fund investing in visionary founders focused on vertical AI and the application layer. Together, they break down the advantage of intentionally investing outside of major hubs to find better valuations and support capital-efficient growth. Alana also shares how they utilize AI tools to improve their investing strategies, as well as what’s in store for the ever-evolving digital world in 2026.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
35 min - Sports Storytelling And Investing With Jai Khanna Of Victory Ventures
Investing and storytelling are two vastly different industries, but Jai Khanna made them work together flawlessly. He joins Scott Kelly to share about his winning strategies behind Victory Media, a platform focused on evergreen sports stories, and Victory Ventures, an investment firm dedicated to founder-led consumer brands. He explains their approaches to telling athlete stories beyond the field and making brand endorsements more authentic. Learn how to take the reins of media distribution and achieve long-term stability in your ventures.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
45 min - Investing In AI And Healthcare With Doug Nissinoff Of Intelligence Ventures
In this ever-evolving digital age, AI continues to touch and massively transform a wide range of industries. Healthcare is no exception, and it is slowly becoming an exciting place to invest in. Diving into the world of AI-powered healthcare innovation with Scott Kelly is Doug Nissinoff of Intelligence Ventures. Together, they unpack the many investment opportunities found in biotech, pharma, medical devices, diagnostics, and healthcare software as a service. Doug also shares how their fund primarily invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups while prioritizing grit and personal mission when choosing founders to work with.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
25 min - Winning In Early-Stage VC With Ross Fubini - XYZ Venture Capital
What are the essential factors to consider to find success in early-stage VC? For Ross Fubini of XYZ Venture Capital, three things come to mind: the surf, the surfer, and the wave. He joins Scott Kelly to discuss how this unique metaphor unfolds the importance of market and execution in venture capital and startup success. Ross also discusses how to navigate the unstoppable rise of AI tools, which he calls the tide, not to simply glow with the flow but also to differentiate yourself from the competition. Tune in to get a deeper understanding of venture capital from the perspective of the most promising early-stage companies right now.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
33 min - Foreseeing The Future Of Commerce With Stephanie Nwokolo Of OpenSky Ventures
With the advent of AI and the seemingly endless innovation of technology, the future of commerce could be tremendously exciting. This is why OpenSky Ventures strategically invests in commerce enablement technology and disruptive consumer brands. Joining Scott Kelly is Stephanie Nwokolo, a Principal at OpenSky, to talk all about their fund and the powerful synergy between portfolio companies. She explains how their firm’s founders leverage decades-long experiences and a deep professional network to find promising early-stage founders who are making huge waves in the modern world of commerce.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
28 min - Bringing Together Real Estate Leaders With Martin Kelly Of Blueprint
Scott Kelly takes a break from featuring venture capital firms to highlight the largest and most global gathering of leaders, investors, and startups in real estate and construction tech. He sits down with Martin Kelly, President of Blueprint, who shares how this event shakes up the worlds of proptech and Contech. He discusses how the massive, technology-slow real estate market is finally seeing successful unicorn companies emerge despite many market pressures. Martin also explains why startups should understand their unfair advantage and partner with the right investors to secure huge success and create a real market disruption.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
30 min - Understanding Time Horizons With John Neace Of Neace Ventures
Neace Ventures is focused on passionate entrepreneurs who are receptive to new ideas and have a clear vision for successful exits. Scott Kelly sits down with their founder John Neace, who shares the importance of making investments that align with enjoyment, transparency, and a clear understanding of time horizons. He explains how this focus enables them to diversify into various sectors, including sports, food and beverages, building, trucking, and insurance. John also talks about understanding the risks in communicating openly and not letting failures in the market consume you.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
24 min - Investing In Dirty, Dull, And Dangerous Startups With Matt Olivo Of C2 Ventures
C2 Ventures has an interesting investment strategy many may never have heard before: focusing on dirty, dull, and dangerous startups. Scott Kelly chats with their General Partner Matt Olivo, who discusses the benefits of targeting these overlooked and underserved markets. He explains their investments in early-stage SaaS and robotic companies, highlighting the importance of using AI as an engine rather than as the product itself. Matt also discusses how they maintain a disciplined approach to evaluation, even during market bubbles, to continue generating outperforming returns.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
31 min - Importance Of Business Execution With Paul Anthony Claxton Of Digerati Investments
Digerati Investments has achieved tremendous wins in the venture capital space by focusing on one single approach: execute, execute, execute. Scott Kelly sits down with their Managing General Partner Paul Anthony Claxton to discuss the importance of proper business execution to achieve the right level of sales. He explains why founders should prioritize customer acquisition over product ideas, particularly among AI-focused venture firms and early-stage technology companies. Paul also discusses how he applies his military background in his VC career and why he is more excited about what happens behind the scenes of AI instead of the automation itself.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
20 min - Advantages Of A Hybrid Model With Daniel Laboe & Prabhakar “KP” Karri Of Nymbl Ventures
Nymbl Ventures, a venture capital firm focusing on built technology, has a unique hybrid model that brings corporations and financial investors together towards success. Scott Kelly is joined by Daniel Laboe and Prabhakar “KP” Karri to share how this approach allows corporations to invest in a venture capital fund while maintaining the flexibility of their own corporate venture capital arm. They also explain how this hybrid model works best in the construction industry, which results in a good mix of entrepreneurs who get not only great investment capital but also great opportunities to grow and scale.
Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com
31 min
About Emerging Managers
From the publisher's feed
Does Silicon Valley and Wall Street have a lock on the deal flow of capital into new innovative ventures? Is there a market for emerging fund managers to make a difference and a high return on…
investment with alternative capital fund models? Meet the venture capital market movers shifting exposure and funding to promising and refreshing innovative founders all over the globe right here on the Emerging Managers Podcast - the show exploring why new-to-you VC funds might be your next great investment.
With a venture market of 3200 funds and 1800 raising their first round, there are plenty of emerging fund managers just waiting for the right investment LP to hear them and explore growing together. Each week, discover actionable tips and valuable advice from up-and-coming fund managers looking for better opportunities and ways to compete in the venture capital market. Hear about their investment thesis and their process for finding right-fit founders and deals to unlock growth like never before.
Listen to VCs across the country and abroad with their different niche perspectives as they break down their origin stories, career experiences, and investment preferences. Learn how they got through their biggest struggles in life, how they mastered the ropes of VC funding, and how they continuously improve their strategies to get the best return on their buck.
Most importantly, they reveal exactly what they are looking for in a founder to invest in and investment partners to grow with, providing that much-needed roadmap to high returns. As these venture investors pull back the curtain to their business priorities and desires, you can see how to strategically refine and review their endeavor to find the best VC funding match.
Your host and guide to this fund manager exploration is Scott Kelly, CEO of business accelerator Black Dog Venture Partners and founder of VC Fast Pitch. He has been working on both sides, with entrepreneurs and investors alike, for more than three decades. Harnessing his innovative skills, vast experience training thousands of salespeople, and tapping into his vast network of investors, Scott helps founders and investors sustain and scale innovation. He is well-known as the organizer and MC of monthly investor-founder matchmaking events.
Scott is occasionally joined by co-host Tracy Hazzard, founder of the podcast production technology company, Podetize. Tracy’s experience as a speaker, podcaster, and Inc. Innovation columnist, as well as a successful female AI tech founder adds valuable insights to the show. Listen all the way through for Tracy and Scott to combine their unique perspectives and experiences with a post-analysis of their emerging fund manager guests.
Business owners, company managers, and start-up founders listen in as these Emerging Fund Managers highlight the strengths that will make you more attractive to highly sought-after venture capital.
Emerging Managers, investors and LPs… check out how your capital competitors are building trust with investors, rising above digital white noise in the market and emphasizing the strengths and differentiators in their funds. Get inspired to build a name for yourself so you can grab a piece or all the venture capital money flowing right now too.
Join Scott and Tracy in their pursuit to bridge the gap between managers and investors building a market rich with rewarding investment partnerships that will create innovative opportunities for years to come.
Be part of a movement that is shaping the future of venture capital and entrepreneurship. Join a community of innovators and visionaries who are redefining the investment landscape and driving positive change. Together, we can create a more equitable and impactful venture ecosystem.
Want to learn more about VC Fast Pitch, our Guests (or be our next guest) on the Emerging Managers Podcast? Go to https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com/ for more details.