From Food Stamps to a $20 Million Fund with Nichole Wischoff
Oct 25, 2023
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Guest Nichole Wischoff shares her journey from growing up on food stamps to founding Wischoff Ventures, a Pre-Seed and Seed firm. Topics include studying abroad in Belgium, falling in love with running, starting a bakery in Spain, getting her first job in fintech, and raising her first $20m fund with the help of Lee Fixel and Chad Byers.
Nicole Wyschoff's journey from growing up on food stamps to starting her own venture capital firm highlights resilience and determination despite adversity.
The importance of having tangible examples of success for young individuals and the transformative impact of studying abroad in Belgium.
Nicole's transition into the tech industry, working at Blend and Vesta, showcases her work ethic and determination in pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities.
Deep dives
Summary 1
Nicole Wyschoff, the founder of Wyschoff Ventures, shares her journey from growing up on food stamps in Little Rock, Arkansas to starting her own venture capital firm. She discusses the importance of having tangible examples of success for young kids and how her experience in Belgium opened her eyes to a different way of life. Nicole also shares her experiences working multiple jobs in college and the challenges she faced while teaching English in Spain. She recounts her transition to the tech industry and her role at Blend, a company that provides digital mortgage solutions. After leaving Blend, she joined Vesta, a loan origination system company, and made her first angel investment in a startup called Lucky. Overall, Nicole's story highlights the resilience and determination required to overcome adversity and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.
Summary 2
Nicole Wyschoff, founder of Wyschoff Ventures, shares her personal journey of growing up on food stamps in Little Rock, Arkansas, to becoming a successful venture capitalist. She emphasizes the importance of having tangible examples of success for young kids and discusses her eye-opening experience in Belgium, where she witnessed a different way of living. Nicole shares her work ethic and determination, having taken on multiple jobs in college, including baking, working in a gym, and running a boutique. She also explains her transition into the tech industry, working at Blend, a digital mortgage software company, and later joining Vesta, a loan origination system company. Nicole's story showcases the resilience and drive necessary to achieve success despite challenging circumstances.
Summary 3
Nicole Wyschoff, founder of Wyschoff Ventures, opens up about her background growing up on food stamps in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the challenges she faced in breaking free from that environment. She highlights how her experience living in Belgium provided her with a new outlook on life and the importance of tangible examples of success. Nicole shares her work ethic, taking on various jobs during college and working her way up in the tech industry. She discusses her role at Blend, a company providing digital mortgage solutions, and her transition to Vesta, a loan origination system company. Nicole's story demonstrates resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
Summary 4
Nicole Wyschoff, founder of Wyschoff Ventures, shares her journey from growing up on food stamps to becoming a successful venture capitalist. She highlights the impact of tangible examples of success on young individuals and the opportunities she experienced while living in Belgium. Nicole discusses her work ethic and the multiple jobs she took on to support herself during college. She goes on to discuss her transition into the tech industry, working at Blend, a digital mortgage software company, and joining Vesta, a loan origination system company. Her story serves as an inspiration, emphasizing the importance of resilience and determination in overcoming obstacles.
Building a Consumer Neo Bank: Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Scale
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Navigating Venture Capital and Dealing with Controversial Comments
This podcast episode delves into the world of venture capital and addresses a controversial comment made by a prominent investor on Twitter. The speaker shares their experience of being the target of a hurtful remark, initially feeling crushed and worried about the impact on their career. However, they find that the incident actually amplifies their personal brand and garners support from others in the industry. The episode explores the importance of building networks and relationships in venture capital, as well as the need to establish a strong personal brand in order to attract founders. Despite the challenges faced, the speaker's journey leads to success in raising their own venture fund and creating a positive impact in the industry.
Nichole Wischoff is the founder of Wischoff Ventures, a Pre-Seed and Seed firm that invests up to $1 million in non sexy industries. Nichole closed her first fund in 2021, and previously was an early employee at Blend (NYSE:BLND), One (acquired by Walmart in 2022), and Built.
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Topics discussed include:
• Growing up on food stamps in Arkansas
• How studying abroad in Belgium changed Nichole’s life
• How falling in love with running got her into college and her first job
• Why Taylor Swift could be the first female President
• Opening a bakery to pay rent while teaching English in Spain
• Getting her first job at Citi’s non-profit housing financing team
• Leveraging that experience to get a job in fintech
• Making her first angel investment in Vesta
• How Nichole got One Financial its first 25k users
• Helping sell One Financial to Walmart
• How Lee Fixel and Chad Byers helped raise her first $5m fund
• Lessons learned going from a $5m to $20m fund in 2022
• Nichole’s advice for anyone raising their first fund
• Behind the scenes of her viral “Third Tier VC” moment
