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, leads the discussion alongside Amber Illig from The Council and Steven Rosenblatt of Oceans Ventures. They tackle deep questions about the future of venture capital, such as the importance of data versus relationships in decision-making. Amber shares her insights on the challenges faced by solo GPs, while Steven explores networking's role in niche sectors. Additionally, they delve into the dynamics between LPs and GPs, emphasizing the need for trust and open communication to enhance investment outcomes.

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.