Dinika Mahtani: From Operator at Uber to backing early-stage startups at Cherry Ventures

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Dinika Mahtani, Partner at Cherry Ventures, the early-stage VC firm led by a team of entrepreneurs with experience building fast-scaling companies, such as Zalando and Spotify. 

Prior to her move into VC, Dinika was an Operator, working across Banking, UberEats EMEA and Uber’s JUMP e-bike product in the UK. She also served as Director of Finance and Operations at ClimateTech startup, Kaluza. 

Today, we take a trip back down memory lane, discussing those fundamental years as an Operator and how she made the move into VC. 

It’s a conversation filled with mentorship for Founders and anyone considering the VC route as their next career step. 

📚 Episode Chapters: 

➡️ From Banking to Uber [06:30]

➡️ Key lessons from her time at Uber [11:30] 

➡️ Moving into VC [15:30] 

➡️ More about today’s sponsor [23:30] 

➡️ Looking for raw ambition [24:30] 

➡️ Going from Principal to Partner [27:30] 

➡️ Promoting and hiring more diverse talent [30:00] 

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ Connect with Dinika here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinika-mahtani-0a2494158/

➡️ Learn more about Cherry Ventures: https://cherry.vc/ 

📣 Learn more about today’s sponsor: 

Today’s episode is sponsored by ECAP Financial, your trusted partner for fractional CFO services for companies looking to fundraise or go through an M&A process. 

Whether you’re a Founder looking to raise investment, planning for an exit, or navigating financial challenges, ECAP Financial, led by the brilliant Corinne Thompson, helps scaleups secure the right funding at the right time. 

💡 Check out their latest fundraising course here: https://fundraising-academy2.teachable.com/p/fundraising-academy 

💡 Don’t forget to follow them on YouTube for even more advice: https://www.youtube.com/@ecapfinancial/videos 

⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️

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🎧 You may also enjoy: 

Masha Bucher: Harnessing the power of storytelling in VC with Day One Ventures

From Operator To VC – Busting Industry Myths with Rosie Barnett, Principal at Delin Ventures

VC & Fundraising Advice – Series 6 Best Bits

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