Deena Shakir is a General Partner at Lux Capital, a firm founded in 2000 and has since raised $2.5 billion. Lux invests in emerging science and deep technology startups such as Auris Health, Cerulean, Zoox, and Bright Machines.

Deena graduated from Harvard undergrad and began her career as a presidential management fellow at the US Department of State, where she built partnerships with tech companies and helped launch President Obama’s global entrepreneurship summit in 2010.

She then joined Google, where she led business development and strategic partnerships for their global civic innovation portfolio before shifting to the investment side at Google Ventures (GV).

In 2019 Deena joined Lux Capital and focuses on companies that are seeking to provide solutions to improve human & environmental health, and productivity.

We covered several topics on the show, including: 

01:12- Deena’s background as the daughter of Iraqi immigrants in California and her early career in journalism and government

08:17 - What prompted her move to GV to Lux

12:35 - What is the behavior trait that drives Lux as a firm

16:39 - How Lux makes decisions as a partnership

18:30 - Why portfolio management is a team sport at Lux.

22:12 - Establishing a company culture and hiring employees that will fit within it.

25:46 - What growth in fund size means in dictating strategy and mindset.

31:12 - Data on diversity in venture is the first step in overcoming unconscious bias 

37:03 - Deena’s biggest career mistake and what she learned about it.

38:38 - Her advice for starting your own fund

40:29: Why Maha Ibrahim of Canaan Ventures is one of Deena’s role models

Mentioned in this episode:

* Lux Capital

* Deena’s article in Forbes, Unlocking a Post-COVID Start-Up “She-Covery”

I’d love to know what you took away from my conversation with Deena Shakir. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.

Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee Agency

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