In this episode, we sit down with Sydney, an experienced investor in the venture capital world who has recently launched her own fund, Impressionism Capital. Sydney shares her journey from working in the public sector to discovering her passion for fintech and digital health in venture capital. She also discusses the different stages of venture capital, from pre-revenue to private equity, and the importance of understanding the right type of capital needed to start a company. Sydney provides valuable insights into the fundraising process and shares her experience of raising a fund for Impressionism. She talks about the challenges of raising capital and how it is similar to launching a company. We also touch on the Kaufman Fellows program and the importance of creating a space for vulnerability and honesty within the venture capital industry.

 

Finally, she stresses the importance of education when it comes to venture capital and the different types of capital available to entrepreneurs. She emphasizes the need to be clear on what one wants to build and what they want to do with their life, as this will help determine the type of business to build. 

 

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Founder Bio:

 

Sydney is the Founder and General Partner of Impressionism Capital - a venture capital firm that invests in companies making life better for the 99%. The launch of her fund was recently covered by TechCrunch. She has focused on this thesis for the past 6 years and has created a distributed network invested in this space by founding a podcast where she profiles these companies, launching a newsletter where she writes about these companies, and hosting events where she organizes people who care deeply about the impact these companies can have on our society. She participates in several extracurricular activities to increase diversity in tech and level the playing field more broadly. She is on the strategy committee of BLCK VC, on the Board of Colorwave, and on the Advisory Board of Invanti – a startup generator in the Midwest. This work awarded her a Black VC’s Making an Impact designation and an article in Marie Claire. She is deeply involved in her community in Oakland. In 2020, she was honored to receive the Champion of Justice Award from Esq. Apprentice, an Oakland-based nonprofit she supports that creates alternative pathways to a legal career. She was also appointed by the mayor to serve as a Commissioner for the City of Oakland’s Public Safety and Services Commission.

 

 Time Stamps:

 

03:08 Sydney background in venture capital

05:34 Venture capital, growth equity, and private equity with Impressionism investor

09:28 Benefits of building a company from scratch

11:14 Understanding the right capital for starting your own company

13:18 Discussion on Venture Capital Investment Outcomes

16:10 The importance of timeline when working with venture capital firms

17:63 Evaluating investment opportunities in digital health and fintech

21:22 Exploring the commitment of founders to solving problems

23:47 Different ways to make a living while building something exciting

28:15 Fintech and digital health investment opportunities with Impressionism ventures

31:61 Building relationships to find diverse founders in the digital health and fintech

34:30 Supporting founders through investment and value-add strategies

37:15 How to get in contact with the Impressionism team

Resources:

 

Company website: https://www.impressionismcapital.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneypthomas/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydneypaige10