Kauffman Fellows Podcast

Grove Ventures General Partner Renana Ashkenazi digs into the topic of winning the deal, the before and the after. In this episode Renana digs deep into the idea of conviction. Venture investing is a “head and heart” approach, and some investors feel that due diligence is a process where you try to convince your head of what your gut said in the very first meeting. This episode finds Renana with Wen Hsieh, Partner at Kleiner Perkins, and get into his five requirements for conviction.

Grove Ventures General Partner Renana Ashkenazi digs into the topic of winning the deal, the before and the after. In this episode Renana digs deep into the idea of conviction. Venture investing is a “head and heart” approach, and some investors feel that due diligence is a process where you try to convince your head of what your gut said in the very first meeting. 

In this episode Renana talks with Lior Susan, Founding Partner at Eclipse Ventures, which invests in tech firms that Lior believes will outperform the established companies in legacy industries.

Grove Ventures General Partner Renana Ashkenazi digs into the topic of winning the deal, the before and the after. In this episode Renana digs deep into the idea of conviction. Venture investing is a “head and heart” approach, and some investors feel that due diligence is a process where you try to convince your head of what your gut said in the very first meeting. All the data in the world isn't enough to do that, as what you really want is to feel that conviction.

As a founder with a product background and now in healthcare VC, Julie has excelled in several different arenas in business, and a different approach to decision making may be appropriate for each arena.

Grove Ventures General Partner Renana Ashkenazi digs into the topic of winning the deal, the before and the after. In this episode Renana digs deep into the idea of conviction. Venture investing is a “head and heart” approach, and some investors feel that due diligence is a process where you try to convince your head of what your gut said in the very first meeting. All the data in the world isn't enough to do that, as what you really want is to feel that conviction.

Renana talks with Adam Fisher, a Partner with Bessemer Venture Capital and focuses on investments in Israel and Europe across multiple technology sectors, from early stage to growth and from long-tail to enterprise.

Kauffman Fellows CEO, Jeff Harbach, sat down with Muse Capital Founding Partner, Rachel Springate Udell, to discuss how important building relationships in venture capital is. Rachel Springate Udell is the founding partner at Muse Capital, which is a seed-stage strategic Venture Fund. She is a leading business development expert in a niche focused on creating opportunities between startup ventures and the entertainment space.

Kauffman Fellows CEO, Jeff Harbach, sat down with Openspace Ventures Partner, Hian Goh, to discuss the global perspective on VC and investing. Hian Goh is a partner at Openspace Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on Technology, Media, and Internet companies in South East Asia. He is also the founder of Asian Food Channel (AFC), a 24 Hour food and lifestyle Pay TV network. Additionally, Goh is a founding member of the Salomon Smith Barney Technology investment banking practice in Asia, which is now a part of Citigroup.

The best investors invest because of conviction, not because of consensus. The top investors have radical self-belief and a willingness to bet on themselves, especially when the odds seem stacked against them. Kauffman Fellows CEO Jeff Harbach sat down with Basis Set Partner, Chang Xu, to discuss how she developed radical self-belief and discovered her zone of genius as an investor.

You will typically have over 1,000 interactions in any given year. Three of those interactions will change your life, but you have no idea which three. So, how will you show up to each interaction you have? Kauffman Fellows CEO, Jeff Harbach, chats with Chris Lyons (Andreessen Horowitz General Partner) who leads the firm’s Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF). Chris discusses his impact at a16z, which is rooted in creating win-win opportunities across the cultural influencer and startup ecosystem, while also bringing more Black talent, executives, and professionals into technology. On being entrepreneur-first, Chris shares: “VC is the ultimate service industry. Remove all the financial situations, or what's in it for me, and take the opportunity that you're in as an opportunity to serve.” 

An investment thesis is more than defining a sector or market based on experience or interest. Top investors tailor their passion and convictions to a thesis that guides every investment they make. Stray Dog Capital General Partner & CEO, Lisa Feria, sat down with Kauffman Fellows CEO, Jeff Harbach, to share how her investment thesis evolved into what it is today. Her firm invests in early-stage food and biotech companies that deliver financial rewards and positively impact people, animals, and the planet.

As an incredibly relationship-centric business, venture capital requires building and maintaining deep relationships built on trust. Kauffman Fellows CEO Jeff Harbach sat down with WndrCo Founder & Managing Partner, Sujay Jaswa, to discuss how he built a firm that focuses on building those crucial relationships with the entrepreneurs behind their portfolio companies. “We're there for the entrepreneurs, whenever, wherever they need us."