Join us in this exciting special episode as we sit down with Nicole Ripka. Nicole, currently the Managing Partner of Dorm Room Fund and the Founder of GayJoy, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table as an early-in-career VC. As a current MBA student at NYU Stern, her insights are a goldmine for anyone looking to break into the VC scene. In this captivating conversation, Nicole shares her remarkable journey as Peleton's first intern and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. We delve into the intricacies of the venture capital industry, uncovering Nicole's top tips for ..read more

What does it take to be an early investor in Beyond Meat? Conviction. In this episode of our Food and Beverage Sprint, we sit down with Lisa Feria, the Managing Partner and CEO of Stray Dog Capital, to discuss her journey into food tech investing. In our discussion, Lisa discusses her early investment in Beyond Meat, one of the world's most successful plant-based meat companies, and how the company's hype changed the investing landscape. Join us as we talk about the shift towards emphasizing healthier alternative foods and how Stray Dog Capital is helping to drive that change. Learn more about ..read more

Why would VC invest in consumer brands? In the fifth episode of our Food and Beverage Sprint, Hayden Williams of BrandProject explains how consumer brands can generate venture returns. Tune in as we dive into the world of consumer packaged goods (CPG), and how BrandProject supports its portfolio companies to success. You won't want to miss Hayden's valuable insights into the world of CPG investments! Learn more about Hayden: LinkedIn Twitter Where to find more of us: Website Twitter Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nyu-svs/support ..read more

Artist, accidental founder, accelerator director. Join us as we chat with Caroline Mak, Director of Big Idea Ventures, New York Accelerator, about the future of food and alternative proteins! ? Caroline shares her journey from being an artist and a founder of an artisanal beverage company, to enabling founders and innovators to disrupt the food ecosystem. In this episode, we discuss the importance of supporting ecosystems and relationships as a founder and venture capitalist. ?? We also discuss what's next in the alternative foods space and gain insights into success in accelerator programs. D ..read more

Distilling alcohol in a lab!? In this third episode of our Food and Beverage Sprint, we sit down with Alec Lee of Endless West to explore the fascinating world of note-by-note alcohol and the science behind creating spirits at the molecular level. We also dive into the founder experience and the role that luck plays in being successful as an entrepreneur. Alec shares his insights on how he started and grew his business, and the challenges he faced along the way. Whether you're a science enthusiast, a spirits connoisseur, or a startup founder looking for inspiration and advice, this episode has ..read more

How do you innovate mac and cheese? In the second installment of Founder Friendly's Food & Beverage sprint, we're diving into the world of comfort food and venture capital! Join us as we explore the secrets to delivering a mouthwatering product, with insights from industry expert Genevieve Gilbreath of Springdale Ventures.   Not only will you discover the three key factors that separate the good from the great in product delivery, but you'll also gain a behind-the-scenes look at how VCs make the tough decision of which brands to invest in. With two decades of experience in the consume ..read more

In the first episode of our food and beverage sprint, we talk to Po Bronson, Managing Director of IndieBio, the world’s leading biotechnology accelerator. Join us as we explore the world of alternative foods and the investments behind them. Listen to learn about the importance of how startups deliver their product, the necessity of technical knowledge in the food industry, and the science behind what makes the food we eat tasty! Interested in learning more about Po and IndieBio? Twitter: @pobronson Website: IndieBio ..read more

Today, we continue our Crypto/Web3 sprint and spoke with Dan Elitzer, the co-founder of Nascent, a global multi-strategy investment firm focused on crypto, DeFi, and open finance. Tune in to learn about the criteria investors look for in crypto startups, how social impact can be tied into this space in the coming years, and Dan's advice for students who are looking to break into this space.    Also, check out some of the resources that Dan talks about in the podcast and a cool project that Nascent has been working on:  https://thedefiant.io  https://newsletter.banklesshq.co ..read more

In the next episode in our Crypto/Web3 sprint, we spoke with Kevin Nielsen, the founder of Boardroom, a management platform for DAOs that helps members frictionlessly participate in governance. Listen to learn all about DAOs, what their use cases look like now and in the future, and how you can join one today to be a part of the crypto space!   Interested in learning more about DAOs after listening to this episode? Check out Kevin's article on DAOs below and follow Boardroom on Twitter at   @boardroom_info  https://thedefiant.io/what-is-a-dao-mapping-out-the-ecosystem ..read more

The first episode in our Crypto/Web3 sprint welcomes Clay Robbins, the crypto principle at Slow Ventures, a generalist fund that invests at the center of technology. In this episode, Clay tells us about where the crypto space is at right now, how he analyzes companies looking for investments from Slow, and how he broke into the crypto industry (and how you can, too!) Interested in learning more about Slow Ventures and Clay after listening to this episode? Follow them on Twitter!   @crabbylions  @slow ..read more