By Oksana Stowe | Venture Capital | ESG | Investor
The podcast currently has 21 episodes available.
Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Bill Liao .
Bill Liao is a Chinese-Australian-Irish entrepreneur, investor, diplomat, business mentor, author, passionate leader and speaker, with a distinguished record in business development and community activism. Co-founder of the CoderDojo movement and of Weforest, his career in tech and business encompasses two unicorn companies and launching the world’s first bio-tech accelerator, RebelBio. He is a general partner of SOSV, a venture capital fund in excess of $1B, and founder of the SOSV Momentum Pre-accelerator program. Bill’s current focus is Quantum Software.
Together with Bill, we tried to identify the most important tools for creating a more sustainable future. We also discussed if ESG needs to be disentangled, can we rely on grit and determination to enable social lifts. We also delved a little bit into what effect the macro economic environment has on climate tech investing.
Guest: Bill Liao
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Eleanor Kaye.
Eleanor built her career in operations, holding roles at MoneySuperMarket and Palantir before joining the Newton Venture Program. Initially taking up the role of Head of Operations, Eleanor was quickly promoted to Executive Director and now leads the team at Newton, which is a joint venture between London Business School and LocalGlobe VC.
Launched in 2020, their mission is to make careers in venture capital more accessible and ensure the next generation of investors represents the world that we live in. They do this through bespoke training and development programmes to help people from overlooked and underestimated backgrounds break into venture capital, or for those already in the space to accelerate their careers.
Together with Eleanor, we discussed how ESG is taught during the Newton programme, how blind hiring improves the hiring process. This is an honest conversation about the venture capital industry's diversity and inclusion challenges.
Guest: Eleanor Kaye
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Eric Rubenstein.
Eric is Managing Partner at New Climate Ventures or NCV, a US based fund launched to tackle climate change with a holistic approach. NCV invests in innovative early-stage startups broadly across the carbon reduction and avoidance ecosystems. NCV launched in October 2021, and has invested in companies that span the areas of climate tech, recycling, alternative materials, and food tech, among other emissions avoiding technologies. Prior to founding New Climate Ventures, Eric held investment, fundamental strategy, and trading roles at Citigroup and Louis Dreyfus in their commodities and energy trading divisions respectively. A psychology major with a focus on behavioural neuroscience, Eric graduated from Yale University.
Together with Eric, we discussed what is missing in the venture ecosystem to help expedite climate change innovation and how he thinks about about the side effects when making investments and much more.
Guest: Eric Rubenstein
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Victoria Ferguson.
Victoria is a Partner and General Counsel at MMC Ventures, one of the most active investors in early-stage tech in Europe. She is an experienced venture capital lawyer, leading the legal work on MMC’s investments, following-on funding and exits. She also leads the firm’s ESG work, including its efforts as a B Corp. Victoria was previously at the law firm Jones Day, where she was an associate in the Business Restructuring and Reorganisation practice, Victoria has an LLB Law from King’s College London and trained and initially practised at Simmons & Simmons in London and Tokyo.
Together with Victoria, we discussed what it means to be a B Corp and why MMC has chosen to become a B Corp certified fund. We have also touched on some flaws with B Corp certification and also how they are addressing those. Victoria also shared how MMC is trying to improve its ESG practices.
Guest: Victoria Ferguson
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Bertie Crawley.
Bertie is the co-founder and Managing Partner of UNTITLED, an early stage venture fund based in the UK which has backed companies like Fabric Nano, Hide Biotech and Mytos. They are also an investor in venture funds. Prior to this he co-founded Zulu Forest Sciences - an applied science and asset management group focused on financing nature-based carbon offset programmes - and was a Partner at Zulu Group, an investment business focused on high impact start-ups.
Together with Bertie, we discussed if ESG leads to value creation at the fund and portfolio level and if ‘ESG’ can be an investment strategy for fund managers to consider. We also tried to tackle a big question that many raised over the course of last year - if ESG should be disentangled as having three big problems mixed up in one is a hard ask and much more.
Guest: Bertie Crawley
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Matt Ward.
Matt is a Partner and Syndicate Investor Lead of 4WARD.VC's early stage climate syndicate, he is also the host of The Startup Tank Climate Investor Pitch Show. Since graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Matt spent the last 10 years in technology, startups and venture capital. Matt’s built and exited multiple ecommerce and media companies.
Together with Matt, we discussed what are the key differences between traditional venture investing and investing in climate tech and can we use ‘climate economics’ as we have been using unit economics to evaluate companies. We also spoke about ESG frameworks and about Matt’s views about it and which sectors within climate tech Matt finds exciting.
Guest: Matt Ward
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Kate Mullord.
Kate joined 4impact, an early stage fund investing in tech4good startups, as Partner in 2021, bringing over 20 years of experience in corporate strategy, tech scale-up and private equity, as well as endless enthusiasm for understanding new business models and meeting entrepreneurs. Prior to 4impact, Kate held senior roles at fintech scale-up Jumo World, which provides microloans to the unbanked in emerging markets. Other roles include senior positions at Woolworths Holdings Ltd (South Africa), London-based private equity firm Duke Street, Goldman Sachs and UBS.
Together with Kate, we discuss 4impact’s investment strategy while being an Article 9 fund. We also touch on what VCs can do to align performance with impact and why 4impact have not yet invested in any of impact measurement tools launched in the last 18 months. Kate also shared which sectors within climate tech that are on 4impact’s radar at the moment.
Guest: Kate Mullord
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where we are joined by Anna Pellicer.
Anna is an early-stage VC investor at Abac Capital, a Barcelona-based Private Equity & VC fund investing to improve the sustainability performance of its portfolio companies. She also holds the SASB FSA credential which studies the link between sustainability and financial performance.
Together with Anna, we discuss what investing with impact means and that investors are in the privileged position to force change. We also explore how a VC investor can integrate ESG & impact management practices in a way that adds value to entrepreneurs.
Guest: Anna Pellicer
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where I’m joined by Inês Rocha.
Inês is an Investment Manager at Norrsken, an impact VC fund. Prior to Norrsken VC, Inês worked in private equity at Hellman & Friedman in London and as a management consultant at Bain & Company in Iberia and the Middle East, focusing on software investments.
Together with Inês, we talk about a selection process at the impact venture fund and if it is possible to measure materiality and impact of startups thar are tackling various SDGs. We also discuss how the market opportunity is increasing for impact investing and this will continue even if experience an economic downturn.
Guests: Inês Rocha
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Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email me at [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
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Welcome to the latest episode of the ESG in VC podcast where I’m joined by Bo Ilsoe and Monica Johnson.
Bo is a Managing Partner at NGP Capital. he has developed NGP Capital from initial commitments of $25M to more than $1.6B investing across 3 continents. A technologist at heart, he believes in the positive transformative effects technology has on society and always comes with a global view of the business.
Monica is the Operating Partner and Chief Financial Officer of NGP Capital. Prior to joining NCP, Monica was the CFO of CafePress, where she led the financial, accounting and legal functions during the company’s growth from $30 million to $250 million in revenues as well as through its IPO.
Together with Bo and Monica, we discuss why sustainability pays (more on this in the recent report that NGP have published after reviewing more than 2,000 startups to understand the impact of the growing ESG focus as well as what is the funding journey of the SDG-focused stratups). We also touched on the current feelings around ESG and if it is truly easier to care about ESG during bull market, but much harder when things are not as rosy.
Guests: Bo Ilsoe and Monica Johnson
Follow us:
Please do not forget to rate and review and to get in touch with the host, Oksana Stowe, email me at [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the ESG in VC Insights Newsletter for insights and updates here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The podcast currently has 21 episodes available.