Kelli Fontaine

Stanley Tang, Co-founder of DoorDash, shares the inspiring journey of building a tech-driven delivery service for local restaurants. He dives into the cloud kitchen movement and highlights critical early-stage challenges faced by startups. On the investment side, guests Sophia Amoruso, Paige Finn-Doherty, and Kelly Fontaine discuss the nuances of becoming first-time fund managers, addressing the intricacies of networking and fund management challenges. Their insights reveal the evolving landscape of venture capital and the redefined approach to supporting culinary startups.

Kelli Fontaine, a partner at Cendana Capital and former figure skater, discusses her expertise in venture capital focusing on pre-seed and seed funds. She emphasizes the critical role of data in investment decisions and shares insights on measuring unique datapoints that many LPs overlook. Kelli explains why neutral references can be more detrimental than negative ones and stresses the importance of thorough reference checks. The conversation highlights how understanding biases and the personal dynamics between fund managers and founders can elevate investment success.

Kelli Fontaine, a Partner at Cendana Capital and former Director at Trinity Capital Investment, dives into the intricate world of venture capital. She discusses why Cendana chose to partner with Behind Genius Ventures and the rise of smaller funds focused on investments under $15 million. Kelli also shares insights on the importance of storytelling and networking in securing startup funding. Plus, she navigates the challenges solo GPs face and the evolving landscape of seed-stage investing, making for a captivating conversation.