Trailblazers by Erica Wenger

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!

In this week’s solo episode, host Erica Wenger dives into Starting a VC Fund 101, breaking down the real reasons why you might want to start a fund, what it actually takes to launch one, and the lessons she’s learned from being in the trenches herself.

From structuring your first fund to navigating LP conversations and finding your unique edge, Erica shares insider tips and hard-earned insights that every aspiring fund manager should hear.

If you’ve ever thought about building your own VC fund or just want to understand how the process really works behind closed doors, this episode is your practical and honest guide to getting started in venture capital.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by Rocketreach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo (formerly OpenPhone): Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

This week, we chat with Des Traynor!

Des is the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Intercom, the company behind Fin.ai, and he also sits on Intercom’s board of directors. Over the years, Des has led teams across Product, Marketing, Customer Support, and Content, playing a key role in shaping Intercom into one of the most influential customer communication platforms in the world. Today, he oversees Intercom’s R&D team, based in Dublin and London.

Before founding Intercom, Des was a UX consultant, a university lecturer in computer science, and a Ph.D. researcher focused on improving computer science education. He also previously co-founded Exceptional, a software company acquired by Rackspace.



Beyond his work at Intercom, Des is an author, speaker, and angel investor, sharing insights on startups, product strategy, and scaling companies through books, podcasts, and conferences. He’s also an investor in some of the most notable startups of our time — including Miro, Stripe, Notion, and Hopin.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo: Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

Des Traynor: @destraynor

Fin AI: fin.ai

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

This week, we chat with Amanda Goetz!

Amanda Goetz is a 2x Founder, CEO and 4x CMO. She is an inspirational writer and content creator captivating millions of people every month through her social insights and newsletter “Life’s a Game”. 

Amanda graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and went on to lead marketing teams at Ernst & Young, The Knot and still advises as Fractional CMO to multiple startups. 

She started her last company, House of Wise, during the pandemic in her garage, raised two rounds of venture capital and sold it in 2022 all while homeschooling three young children as a single mom. She found love again and lives with her partner and 3 kiddos in Miami, FL after a decade dodging hustle culture in NYC.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo: Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

Amanda Goetz: @theamandagoetz

https://www.amandagoetz.com/

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

This week, we chat with Rex Woodbury!

Rex is the Founder and Managing Partner of Daybreak, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York. Daybreak is a first-check firm built on the belief that the companies shaping the future will be those improving the lives of the next generation.

Before starting Daybreak, Rex was a Partner at Index Ventures, where he invested in consumer technology and the creators building online communities. Beyond investing, Rex is also the writer behind Digital Native, a widely read weekly publication exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and the internet with over 70,000 readers each week.

With his unique perspective as both an investor and a storyteller of the digital age, he brings deep insight into how technology continues to shape how we live, work, and connect.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo: Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

Rex Woodbury: @rex_woodbury

Daybreak: @daybreak_fund

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!

In this week’s solo episode, host Erica Wenger shares her hot takes on venture capital the unspoken takes that many in the industry quietly know but rarely say out loud.

From fundraising dynamics to investor-founder relationships, Erica unpacks the realities that shape how VC really works behind the scenes beyond the headlines and polished pitch decks.

If you’ve ever wondered what people in venture really think (but don’t tweet), this episode is your insider look into the honest, unfiltered side of the industry.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by Rocketreach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo (formerly OpenPhone): Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

This week, we chat with Avni Barman!

Avni is the CEO and Founder of Gen She, a media company and fund empowering a community of over 700,000 women across Instagram, TikTok, a newsletter, a podcast, and a job board. Through Gen She, Avni writes $50K–$100K checks into ventures that directly help their audience rise to the top 1%, driving real impact for the next generation of women leaders.

Before launching Gen She, Avni spent over four years in Big Tech as an engineer and product manager experience that now fuels her mission to unlock the potential of young women in entrepreneurship, tech, venture, and media.

Her work bridges empowerment and innovation creating pathways for women to lead in every corner of tech, venture, and media.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo: Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

Avni Barman: @avnibarman_

Gen She: @gen.she

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!

In this week’s solo episode, host Erica Wenger dives into why every founder should have a manifesto a clear, written declaration of what they stand for and where they’re headed.

Erica breaks down three key benefits of writing one and walks you through five actionable steps to get started. She also makes a compelling case for the power of thoughtful, long-form writing not just as a branding exercise, but as a way to sharpen conviction, attract alignment, and move your mission forward.

If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect moment” to write your manifesto — this is your sign to just start.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by Rocketreach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo (formerly OpenPhone): Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

This week, we chat with Maya Bakhai!

Maya Bakhai is the founder of Spice Capital, a first-yes fund investing at pre-seed and seed. Maya's Fund II is a $25M Fund that will invest in ~40 companies with check sizes ranging from $250k-$750k. Spice Capital has over 50 companies in the portfolio including Beehiiv, MUBI, Prosper Health, Hype, Skej, and more.

In the last 8 years, Maya has backed 100+ founders.. Prior to starting Spice Capital in 2021, she ran venture investments for Kevin Durant at Thirty Five Ventures where she invested in multiple now-unicorns including: Hugging Face, Robinhood, Skydio, Mercury, Whoop, Rubrik, and Underdog Fantasy. She has a B.S. in Finance and Data Science from NYU. In 2023, she was recognized for her investing in Forbes 30 under 30's Venture Capital list.

Maya is based in NYC. Fun fact: In a past life, she produced a sold out off-broadway musical- “Aliens Coming”, a narrative podcast -“Illuminati Interns” and an award-winning web series called “Freelance”.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazers

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo: Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

Maya Bakhai: @MayaBakhai

Spice Capital: @spice_cap

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

This week, we chat with Katie Stanton!

Katie is the Founder and General Partner of Moxxie Ventures. 

Katie is an investor, operator, board member, and proud mom of three kids and two “poorly-trained” dogs. She has built her career leading teams at Yahoo, Google, Twitter, and Color, and also served in the Obama White House and Clinton State Department.

As Founder and Managing Partner of Moxxie Ventures, Katie backs entrepreneurs tackling hard problems that improve life, work, and the planet. She was also a Founding Partner of #Angels and has invested in over 50 early-stage companies including Airtable, Coinbase, Cameo, Carta, and Modern Fertility.

Katie currently serves on the Boards of Vivendi and Yahoo and previously served on the Board of Time Inc. Her career has been defined by a commitment to brilliant people, bold ideas, and building a better future.

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

Quo: Quo.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

Katie Stanton: @katies

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!

This week, we chat with Ali Kriegsman!

Ali is a writer, entrepreneur, and business strategist whose work lives at the intersection of brand building, storytelling, and sales. At just 24, she co-founded Bulletin, a retail technology company that reimagined how premium brands and retailers connect. Bulletin went on to be acquired by Emerald [NYSE:EEX], the largest B2B events company in the United States, in a $10 million deal.

Since then, Ali has helped founders and companies raise more than $20 million in venture funding, secure profitable exits, and close major sponsorship and partnership deals. She’s also the author of How to Build a Goddamn Empire, and her most recent fiction project, The Raise, which pushes the boundaries of traditional publishing by blending storytelling with cinematic, social, and direct-to-consumer elements to create an immersive brand experience.

Ali has been recognized as a Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ honoree and one of Fast Company’s ‘Most Creative People in Business,’ and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Refinery29, The Today Show, and more

✨ This episode is presented by Brex.

Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspod

This episode is supported by Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.

Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazers

OpenPhone: openphone.com/trailblazers

Athena: athenago.me/Erica-Wenger

Follow Us!

Ali Kriegsman: @alikriegs

@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Erica Wenger: @erica_wenger

🐘 Learn more about Park Rangers Capital!