For too long, venture capital has been a game reserved for the elite—where only accredited investors with deep pockets get access to the most promising startups. But what happens when you challenge that system and design a future where everyone can participate?

In this episode of Design Your Legacy, host Angelina Carleton sits down with Gerry Hays, JD, founder of Doriot, to discuss how he’s tearing down the walls of exclusivity in startup investing and building a new path forward. Gerry shares his journey from law and entrepreneurship to pioneering Venture Staking™, Fantasy Startup®, and the QAI certification—all designed to give everyday investors the tools, knowledge, and confidence to join the wealth-creation cycle. Listen now and discover how Gerry Hays, JD is rewriting the rules of venture capital so that wealth creation becomes a shared legacy.

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For over 25 years, Gerry Hays has been working at the crossroads of entrepreneurship, education, and innovation — launching and exiting startups, mentoring early-stage founders, and teaching venture strategy and mindset everywhere from Indiana University to classrooms around the world.

But Gerry isn’t just another serial founder. After years of watching the capital markets become more exclusive and less effective, he decided to stop playing defense — and start building alternatives.

He’s the founder of Doriot (Dor-ee-o), where he’s pioneering VentureStaking™ — a patent-pending, community-powered model for startup investing that flips the traditional system. He also created Fantasy Startup®, a gamified investing platform as addictive as fantasy sports, and QAI, a first-of-its-kind certification that offers a practical on-ramp to accredited investor status for the everyday person.

Gerry talks fast, thinks bold, and doesn’t hold back — especially when it comes to equity, access, and the future of investing. If you are interested in disruption, democratizing finance, or what’s really broken in venture capital, Gerry brings a conversation that doesn’t just observe change — he builds it.


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At Legacy Planning©, we work with rising entrepreneurs, wealth creators, and family stewards who are ready to turn their success into lasting contribution. Our co-active coaching and advisory services help you clarify what truly matters—beyond balance sheets and the four corners of a document. We guide you in aligning your values, relationships, and influence into a living legacy you can lead with confidence today, and pass on with intention tomorrow.

Whether you're navigating a personal transition, succession planning, or seeking deeper meaning after financial success, we provide the structure and space to ask life's most important question: What will you leave in the hearts and hands of others? Because legacy isn’t what you leave behind—It’s how you show up now.

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Looking for a meaningful gift for the visionary in your life? Give the gift of clarity, purpose, and legacy with a personalized coaching session from Design Your Legacy©. Perfect for birthdays, milestones, or major life transitions—this gift card opens the door to deeper impact and intentional living. www.angelinacarleton.com/gift-card

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