The Creative Investor: Navigating Tech, Defense, and Deep Tech Investments

Jul 2, 2025

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This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa sit down with Clare McLaughlin, Partner at TLI Bedrock. Clare shares her unexpected path from art history and professional harpist to VC, along with her distinctive lens on early-stage investing in sectors like material science, defense, and deep tech. She highlights the importance of founder execution, financial storytelling, and aligning investments with personal values. The episode also explores the evolving role of family offices and the need for transparency and long-term thinking. Also, don’t miss our insider segment with Jason Kropp of Sidley on tax optimization strategies and smart structuring for global VC investments.

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

Clare’s Unconventional Path to VC (1:02)
Lessons from Arts and Nonprofit Roles (4:22)
TLI Bedrock’s Approach and Family Office Strategy (8:34)
Building Investment Strategy and Structure (10:18)
Transitioning to Offense in Investing (12:02)
Fund Manager Relationships and Communication (16:11)
What Works (and Doesn’t) in Fund Manager Pitches (21:23)
Grit and Motivation in Venture Careers (26:19)
Insider Segment: Tax Optimization for LPs and GPs (27:11)
Current Excitement and Trends in Tech & Energy (35:38)
Intentionality and Values in Investing (37:39)
Balancing Efficiency, Humanity, and Technological Change (39:13)
Simple, Impactful Innovations (43:42)
The Myth of Tier One Co-Investment (48:07)
Favorite Success Stories and Founder Qualities (49:22)
Advice for New Family Office Professionals and Parting Thoughts (52:38)

TLI Bedrock is a multi-strategy fund that invests across sectors and industries. The firm seeks high returns by backing innovative projects, responsible companies that consider customer, employee, and community needs, and sustainable approaches to commerce. Guided by the principles of trust, loyalty, and integrity, TLI Bedrock takes a holistic approach to investment. Learn more at www.tlibedrock.com.

Sidley Austin LLP is a premier global law firm with a dedicated Venture Funds practice, advising top venture capital firms, institutional investors, and private equity sponsors on fund formation, investment structuring, and regulatory compliance. With deep expertise across private markets, Sidley provides strategic legal counsel to help funds scale effectively. Learn more at sidley.com.

Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies.

The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.