Karen Kerr has a long track record in Venture Capital and manufacturing. For over 2 decades, she has been developing technology-based businesses, serving as Executive Managing Director at GE Ventures, as well as the Senior Director of New Ventures and Alliances at USC's Stevens Center for Innovation (just to name a few). Today, she's the Managing Director at Exposition Ventures in Chicago, IL.

In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we discuss Karen’s exciting career in venture capital, how she got started and what she has planned for the future. We also take an in depth look into where manufacturing fits into venture capital, as well as which companies are leading the way with innovative technologies. We round off our talk with what Karen prioritizes when looking for new companies to invest in.

In this episode, find out:

• We start by discussing Karen’s background and how she first got into venture capital
• What type of firms Karen’s worked with in the past
• Karen discusses her projects with Exposition Ventures
• We talk about what venture capital looks at when considering new businesses
• How GE Ventures has changed over the years
• Karen discusses how far into Industry 4.0 we really are
• Karen talks us through her interest in manufacturing and technology
• Interesting companies that are harnessing Industry 4.0
• We wrap up our conversation by talking about Karen’s love of baseball and single malt scotch.

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “The entrepreneur is the most critical thing, and her ability to build a high-functioning team.” – Karen Kerr
• “It’s really how you manage people in teams…that’s what makes for a successful business.” – Karen Kerr
• “Companies that can address challenges that apply to different industries…that’s what I look for” – Karen Kerr

Links & mentions:

• Exposition Ventures, Venture Capital advisory services
• mHUB, an innovation center which removes barriers for hardtech entrepreneurs and manufacturers
• Pitchbook, a financial data and software company to help venture capitalists discover new opportunities
• Bruichladdich Distillery, a single malt distillery on the Isle of Islay in Scotland
• Springbank 21, Karen Kerr’s favorite single malt

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.