Female VC Lab

ShowNotes for Female VC Lab Podcast with Dr. Silvia Mah

Guest: Dr. Silvia Mah, Adastra Ventures

Host: Barbara Bickham

In this insightful episode of the Female VC Lab podcast, host Barbara Bickham welcomes Dr. Silvia Mah from Adastra Ventures to discuss her journey into venture capitalism and her passion for empowering female-led businesses and founders of color.

Key Points Discussed:

• Introduction to Guest: Dr. Silvia Mah shares her background as part of Adastra Ventures.
• Becoming a VC: The impetus behind becoming an investor was the desire to bring access to capital within the ecosystem; she describes herself as an "accidental investor."
• Professional Journey: With 15 years in startup fields commercializing University Technologies at UC San Diego, coupled with a Ph.D. in biochemistry/molecular biology and an MBA, she brings a unique understanding of both science and business.
• Addressing Access to Capital: Discusses challenges faced by entrepreneurs regarding access to early-stage capital, especially women founders and people of color.
• Personal Investment Philosophy: Inspired by an unexpected inheritance from her father, decided to invest in female-led businesses and those run by people of color; industry agnostic approach.
• Creating Ecosystems & Community Impact: Emphasizes building ecosystems around these investments that nurture communities - when you invest in women, you're investing in their entire community due to their efficiency with money management.
• Investment Thesis Motivation: Shares how personal experiences shaped her investment thesis focusing on impact-driven ventures led by underrepresented groups.
• Reading Habits & Resources: Enjoys reading books like 'Dare To Lead' alongside articles for current insights (mentions Medium) while staying connected with local news through publications like San Diego Business Journal; also listens to podcasts including servant leadership topics along with daily bible readings reflecting spiritual practices.

Evolution Of Venture Capital: Dr. Mah observes tactical shifts towards smaller check sizes due diligence risk mitigation strategies amidst economic changes while strategically noting collaboration trends among larger firms or introduction new general partners driving well-capitalized funds forward; anticipates continued evolution accommodating diverse investor profiles through different financial vehicles enabling sustained entrepreneurial impacts despite size limitations on individual investments.

Connectivity: Listeners can connect with Dr. Silvia Mah via LinkedIn (Sylvia M.), visit her website at sheinvests.com which hosts information about personal investment thesis/portfolio companies or explore collaborative opportunities at stellalabs.org particularly referencing upcoming Women's Venture Summit events designed advocate support network growth amongst female founders/investors alike fostering stronger collective advancement initiatives across sectoral boundaries.

Join us next time on Female VC Lab where we continue uncovering stories behind influential investors shaping future innovation landscapes one conversation at time!

ShowNotes for Female VC Lab Podcast with Barbara Bickham

Episode Title: The Journey of a Venture Capitalist: Insights from Barbara Bickham

Introduction:

• Host: Barbara Bickham, Managing Partner and Founder of the Women's Innovation Fund Accelerator.
• A unique episode where Barbara shares her personal journey into venture capitalism and the ethos behind her investment thesis.

Barbara’s Background & Inspiration to Become a VC:

• A blend of technical and business education including Computer Science from Berkeley, software engineering, and a mini MBA from the University of Chicago.
• Triggered by recognizing funding gaps for women and underserved communities while driving her car five years ago.
• Experience running an angel group called Fewer Angels in Los Angeles between 2007–2009 which grew to 450 angels under her leadership.
• Transitioned into private equity/merchant banking raising over $50 million across various companies including significant sums in film funds and blockchain/crypto ventures.

Investment Thesis Explained:

1. Gender-balanced C-level teams as part of promoting diversity within leadership roles.
2. Focus on all emerging tech excluding biotech/nanotech; areas include AI, AR/VR, IoT, blockchain, quantum computing, robotics etc., targeting advanced future technologies.
3. Providing acceleration services that include thorough due diligence processes along with creating sustainability plans for portfolio companies emphasizing ESG (Environmental Social Governance) importance.

Sustainability Importance Highlighted:

• Discusses how large corporations are shifting towards sustainable practices through examples like Apple's green bonds initiatives reflecting on why startups should follow suit to attract modern consumers who value sustainability.

Learning During Global Pandemic & Building Resilience in Ventures:

• Shares insights about repositioning Trail Ventures to focus on educating about emerging technology relevance for businesses and investors during challenging times.

Advice on Investment During Uncertain Times:

• Emphasizes staying active as VCs even during crises like COVID19 highlighting opportunities that arise when others may be hesitant or ‘frozen.’
• Contact Information & Community Engagement Request:
• Encourages listeners to connect via LinkedIn at BARBARABICKHAM
• Invites feedback for community building around the podcast series suggesting it is not just about one perspective but many shared journeys.
• Closing Remarks:
• Expresses hope that listeners enjoyed getting insight into her journey as a VC
• Anticipates sharing more stories through upcoming episodes
• Reiterates desire for listener engagement regarding content preferences

Thank you so much for tuning into this special installment where we got an insider look at what drives one woman’s mission in shaping the world of venture capital!

This is a quick introduction on what the Female VC Lab Podcast covers. For more information, go to our website: https://femalevclab.com or follow us on Instagram @FemaleVCLab.