Venture Capital through an Anthropological Lens

In this episode, Eli Cahan (’19 cohort) speaks with Rex Woodbury (’19 cohort) who imagines a world where technology and startups are a force for good.

Rex reflects on his decision to leave the world of investment to attend business school and on how he began sharing his ideas on social media. He discusses how writing on Substack helped him pivot from private equity to venture capital, where he now supports early-stage founders as they develop their ideas. Rex believes technology can have a positive impact on society, and he describes how this work has given him a sense of meaning and purpose. He explains how Knight-Hennessy expanded his understanding of impact, situating impact entrepreneurship within broader structural issues. The episode concludes with Rex sharing his favorite memories from his time at Stanford and offering thoughtful advice to prospective students.

Highlights from the episode

(3:21) Deciding to leave TPG and come back to school

(7:54) A typical day in an investing career

(12:10) Daybreak Ventures and how he got there

(18:30) On sharing his ideas with the world

(27:58) How does social media influencing fit in?

(29:53) Knight-Hennessy Scholars changing his understanding of impact

(35:33) Favorite Knight-Hennessy Scholars memories

(39:45) Advice for prospective applicants