Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders Keri Findley, Founder, CEO of Tacora Capital – Structured Credit Secrets: How Tacora Capital carved out a unique approach to business growth
When you're a founder, you need creative ways to grow your business. Today's guest recognized that need, and built her company on it.
We're sitting down with Keri Findley, Founder and CEO of Tacora Capital. Keri has two decades of experience in structured credit investing at leading firms, and as a private investor. She founded Tacora in 2022, securing a $250 million investment from renowned venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
From 2009 to 2017, Kerry ran the structured credit portfolio for Third Point, the multi-billion dollar hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb. She was the first woman and the youngest person to be made partner at Third Point. Prior to that, she held a similar position at D.B. Zwirn, and began her career at Morgan Stanley.
Keri currently serves as an advisor to Firework Ventures and 8VC, and is on the boards of Hearth, Karus, Point Digital, and Architect.
Highlights:
- Keri summarizes her introduction to finance (2:51)
- Falling into the industry, and growing up as a 'math person'(3:22)
- Keri describes what it was like to begin in the finance industry in the late 2000's (4:28)
- Types of assets in the payment processing platform (6:10)
- Leaving her job, and how Keri came to found Tacora Capital (7:21)
- Working with Peter Thiel, and more about their partnership (9:14)
- Keri describes the audience, and kinds of investors that are attracted to Tacora Capital (10:10)
- Tacora's unique approach and structure in venture capital (11:14)
- Keri discusses whether she would rather Tacora be at a later-stage (12:50)
- Tacora's reason for focusing on Fintech and Insuretech fields (14:37)
- Keri gives an example of the opportunities Tacora has provided to one of their portfolio companies (16:00)
- Where Tacora's pipeline for new deals is sourced from (16:52)
- How the current financial and economic climate effects the work done at Tacora (18:22)
- How Tacora avoids risky situations and maintains discipline in their work (20:16)
- Keri predicts the future of the venture capital market based on recent history (21:37)
- 'Non-dilutive capital' and Tacora's approach to companies facing down-rounds (25:15)
- Why Keri decided to settle the company in Austin, Texas (27:07)
- Keri predicts how the banking model will change in the near future (30:04)
- Tacora's short-term goals and plans (31:22)
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.