Billion Dollar Moves™ with Sarah Chen-Spellings | Global Venture Capital

True to the saying 'nice guys finish last'; so many of us have accepted that as in the case of Steve Jobs, 'abrasiveness' was part of his genius.But what if there was another way?What if leaders could be kind; and that there is a tangible value to kindness in business?Now all of us probably know the term “goodwill” from an accounting context: In this capitalistic world in many ways; this value is decided by the buyer.Now our next guest argues that in reality, goodwill which should mean a whole lot more than an accounting concept, is earned and cannot be bought; and that if done correctly — can be worth a whole lot.This as he saw in his tenure as the unlikely “least qualified CEO” of Ashley Stewart, a popular plus-sized clothing brand serving and employing predominantly Black women: where he reinvented the co from the brink of bankruptcy: with what he argues was a recipe of “kindness” that shocked the world.PROFILE: James Rhee: https://www.redhelicopter.com/James Rhee is an acclaimed impact investor, founder, CEO, goodwill strategist, and educator who empowers people, brands, and organizations by marrying capital with purpose. He is an award-winning thought leader on topics such as multidimensional transformation, the intersection of capital, race, and gender, the future of capitalism, and values-based investing and leadership. The story of the remarkable transformation and re-imagination of Ashley Stewart, one of the country’s largest clothing brands serving plus-sized Black women, under James’s enlightened leadership as chairman, CEO and investor (2013-2020), has served as proof to millions of people, as well as the world’s leading businesses and organizations, that one can do better by being better.James bridges seemingly unconnected people, communities, and industries under an inclusive and innovative umbrella. James serves as a member of the Advisory Council of JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways, a Founding Member of Ashoka E-to-E, and the Advisory Board of CEO Action for Racial Equity. He is a Strategic Advisor to start-ups creating the world in which we want our children to live, and formerly served as Chair of the Innovation Committee of the National Retail Federation, and a board member of Conscious Capitalism and the American Repertory Theater. He is a client of both UTA and LGR Literary.As an investor, James helped manage billions of dollars of growth and distressed capital at two leading Boston-based institutions before ultimately founding his own impact platform called FirePine Group, where he has stewarded the capital of some of the world’s most sophisticated investors. He has been the lead investor and a board director across multiple successful platform investments. Before his career in business and finance, James Rhee was a high school teacher and an editor of the Harvard Law Review.He is writing a book and devotes time to Howard University as the Johnson Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship. He also serves on the faculty at MIT Sloan School of Management as a Senior Lecturer and EIR @ MIT Leadership Center.PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.comBuild like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseriesFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

What are some key factors that contribute to a successful exit for a company? How can investors and founders align valuations with realistic outcomes? How have market conditions affected the fundraising landscape for companies? What opportunities exist for quality companies with strong fundamentals? What is the service mindset founders need to be really zooming in on? How does this differentiate successful companies? This week, we cover these crucial questions in a Billion Dollar Bite with Elodie Dupuy, Founding Partner of $200M growth equity firm, Full In Partners. Full episode: https://link.chtbl.com/bdm-elodie FOLLOW FULL IN PARTNERS: https://fullinpartners.com/ Full In Partners is a premier NYC-based growth equity firm founded in 2019. The firm is focused on backing high-velocity, high-efficiency software and internet businesses while building better outcomes through proactive operational and strategic support. -- On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader. Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic. Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you. This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture. -- PODCAST INFO: Podcast website Watch on Youtube Join the community FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal Instagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobal Twitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

On Billion Dollar Moves we don't shy away from difficult conversations. A heads up, in today's conversation we will be talking about mental health, including suicide. Know that if you are struggling with your own mental health you are not alone, please reach out to a local mental health provider for support. For a list of free support lines available around the world, we recommend: https://bekind.findahelpline.comWe’re all about surfacing what we call the unexpected leader; unicorn founders and funders across the globe in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.But one thing I’ve always known beneath these conversations that I don’t always get to bring to the fore are the inevitable dark moments along the way, and the immense cost to our mental health.The anxiety and toll on our personal relationships, the toll on ourselves in taking these risks,So, in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, I’m thrilled to be bringing you a slightly different but very special episode that I think will be important to you as you build, lead, and invest better.Elisha and I cover so much in this conversation from:- What it means to really struggle with mental health and why we need to all pay attention- The need to address systemic issues, 'structural determinants' in mental health- Where capital can drive impact on mental health, the challenges and opportunitiesLINKSCotton On Foundation campaign in support of Born This Way Foundation: https://cottonon.com/US/co/charity-gi...Elisha London https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisha-lo...Prospira Global https://prospira.global/Kate Spade New York Social Impact: https://www.katespade.com/social-impactPROFILEElisha London is an entrepreneur and global mental health advocate.She is an advisor to leading global companies, donors, investors, brands and influential individuals on mental health and regularly speaks and writes on the topic.Across her career Elisha has established a number of national and global initiatives, and worked for organisations including the UK Department for International Development, PWC, the Overseas Development Institute and The World Bank. She was the founding UK Director of the Global Poverty Project (now “Global Citizen”), and following her own personal experience of mental ill health she was appointed as Campaign Director for the Head Together Campaign, spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.In 2017 Elisha drew upon her experience to understand the huge gap that exists in addressing mental health around the world and founded United for Global Mental Health.She holds an MBA from TRIUM (NYU New York, LSE London, HEC Paris), and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics.Elisha Co-Chaired the Global Futures Council on Neuro technologies in 2019 has been a regular member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Mental Health. In 2020 she was honoured for her leadership in global mental health when she was appointed as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar...Build like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseriesFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Today’s guest speaking to the African continent is none other than Eunice Ajim, Cameroonian-American tech entrepreneur and investor who's changing the game. With her fund, Ajim Capital, she seeks to invest in Africa’s best startups at the pre-seed and seed level; leveraging her experience as a former repeat founder herself, including leading a $10M+ tech startup. But what many may not know is her story of becoming homeless while building what she calls the African dream. Eunice’s story is not just a cheatsheet into investing in Africa (which by the way has had 51 Private Equity exits in the last 10 years, with 478 deals worth $8.6 billion), but real talk on how hard it still is to build in the emerging markets.--On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated, long before they became iconic.Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.--FOLLOW EUNICE:https://www.ajimcapital.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/euniceajim/PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/Watch on Youtube : tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobalBuild like a CEO: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/ceoseriesFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

From $50 million in circulation annually in venture capital to about $500 million; this 10x growth in a short amount of time in Oklahoma caught my attention. So when Nathaniel Harding of Cortado Ventures invited me out to Oklahoma City for the MidContinent VC Summit earlier this year—my answer was yes! Today’s conversation is with a leader unlike any other I’ve had on the show—a former Air Force captain stationed at the US-NATO headquarters in Afghanistan, Nathaniel transitioned from military service to become a successful oil entrepreneur, leading a venture that ultimately exited for a staggering $120 million.Today he serves as Managing Partner at Cortado Ventures, which has just announced its oversubscribed close of Fund 2, investing in early-stage startups in the Midcontinent region of America.--On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated, long before they became iconic.Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.--FOLLOW Nathaniel: linkedin.com/in/nathanielharding/Cortado VenturesPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/Watch on Youtube : tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobalJoin the communityFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

In 2005, three Singaporean teenagers set up a secondhand clothes blog.They didn't realize it at the time, but it laid the framework for this multi-million dollar empire, one of the largest omnichannel womenswear brands in Southeast Asia, that has gone global, delivering to 18 countries with its most recent pop up store in SoHo New York.This week we dive into the story of Love, Bonito, in the business of serving the modern Asian women; which last raised a $50M Series C in 2021 led by Primavera Capital Group, China’s second-largest private-equity firm which previously invested in Alibaba and ByteDance. We chat with Love Bonito’s co-founder Rachel Lim about risking her mother’s entire savings to overcoming jealousy of her new CEO and finding herself as a leader even as they scale profits, revenues and markets, and build to an exit for their investors. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss. --TIMESTAMPS:00:28 - Love Bonito: From Secondhand Clothes Blog to Multimillion-Dollar Empire05:44 - Family struggles, financial crisis, Rach dropping out and betting on herself14:50 - Bonito Chico to Love Bonito. The business of women beyond fashion, building with co-founders23:22 - Rach bringing in a CEO, accepting her limitations, hiring to scale34:29 - "Everything rises and falls on leadership"40:33 - Taking venture money, the pressure for an investor return--On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated, long before they became iconic.Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.--FOLLOW RACHEL:LoveBonito: https://www.lovebonito.com/LinkedInInstagramRach Reflects PodcastPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://sarah-chen.com/billion-dollar-episodes/Watch on Youtube : tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobalJoin the communityFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

I realized for many of you, I’ve yet to formally introduce myself, why I do the work I do, and why, Billion Dollar Moves exists to serve you today. Fact: I was often in rooms I felt I didn’t deserve to be in.I was too young, too unqualified, and heck, looked and sounded different from everyone else. I knew I had two choices: to crumble into myself or to step up and honor my potential. The tables are turned in this episode where I'm in the hot seat, interviewed by my friends at Beyond Barriers. Enjoy! --On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic.Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.--PODCAST INFO:Podcast websiteWatch on YoutubeJoin the communityFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

Our guest today is none other than Jeff Maggioncalda, a visionary leader whose journey spans not just one but two groundbreaking fields. For 18 years, Jeff worked side by side with Nobel Prize winner and economist Bill Sharpe, as the founding CEO of Financial Engines, one of the earliest pioneers in the world of robo-advisors and algorithm-driven investment strategies that became the largest independent online retirement advice platform with more than $100 billion under management. sold for you know, a casual $3 billion.Fast forward to today, Jeff is at the helm of another HIGH IMPACT endeavor. As the CEO of Coursera, he's leading the charge to redefine education for the digital age; since joining in June 2017 and has helped the company grow to over 120 million learners and 7,000+ institutions, served by high-quality learning content from 300+ of the world’s top universities and industry educators.From what a good CEO is and how a game of Monopoly really started Jeff on this journey, our power-packed conversation is a CEO masterclass you need to buckle up for.--TIMESTAMPS04:20 From a game of Monopoly to Monte Carlo simulations10:23 Pivoting is important, but knowing when is difficult13:50 AI: another form of technology, impact, and concerns17:09 GPT to predict business strategies23:44 Digital, platform business models in online learning, massive online open courses (MOOCs)35:56 Technology, globalization, and AI drive future change. Being a growth company CEOON COURSERA: https://www.coursera.org/--On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic.Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.--PODCAST INFO:Podcast websiteWatch on YoutubeJoin the communityFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

I’m so excited about this week’s guest! If you’ve been following our work at Beyond The Billion; there’s no better snapshot of why we do the work we do than this episode; where Elodie Dupuy represents the kind of fund manager we are so bullish on. Starting as a receptionist at Insight Venture Partners, she is today betting on herself. Elodie founded Full In Partners, a software-focused $200M growth equity fund based in New York City, getting into deals like Canva, and Vinted. How she got there? You’d have to tune in.TIMESTAMPS03:33 - Gymnast "Pushing through the pain' grounding Elodie's journey08:21 - Iconiq chapter, but not really?09:03 - 'I didn't know I want to be a CEO, until I couldn't be'09:30 - 'Why don't I have my own fund? That's rude'15:29 - Lagging indicators in fund management?20:41 - Trust vs ownership in equity25:56 - Usercentrics & Cookiebot - THE deal36:28 - 'When the tide goes out, it's easy to see who doesn't have a bathing suit on'40:38 - Will the growth stage sustain? Distributions vs valuations?48:17 - 'B2B SAAS will not go anywhere'FOLLOW FULL IN PARTNERS: https://fullinpartners.com/Full In Partners is a premier NYC-based growth equity firm founded in 2019. The firm is focused on backing high-velocity, high-efficiency software and internet businesses while building better outcomes through proactive operational and strategic support.--On Billion Dollar Moves, we travel across the globe in search of the unexpected leader.Every week, it is our job to deconstruct the Billion Dollar Moves of unicorn founders & funders; many of them, underestimated long before they became iconic.Many of them, unexpected leaders, just like you.This show is about unfiltered conversations about success, failure, fear, and courage in the pursuit of the next big thing in tech and venture.--PODCAST INFO:Podcast websiteWatch on YoutubeJoin the communityFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal

"But how can women actually be good operators?"This is a special episode from my work archives—in reflecting on my work this summer, I realized that this conversation in particular needed more air for the important angles raised by some real heavyweights in our industry.Featuring GV Ravishankar, MD at Sequoia India or now known as Peak XV; Sunitha from LetsVenture, India’s largest tech platform for early-stage startup investing and Nacitta from Sayurbox, Indonesia based distribution platform of fresh produce backed by Indonesian e-commerce TokopediaFrom removing the pitch process to changing mindsets in angel investingm to challenging our own assumptions, this is your crash course on why the gender venture funding gap exists; and the Billion Dollar Moves these leaders are championing to change the status quo.You’re tuning into the Bridging the Funding Gap in SEA Panel at DSA’s 2021 PEVC Conference.PODCAST INFO:Podcast websiteWatch on YoutubeJoin the communityFOLLOW SARAH:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobalInstagram: instagram.com/sarahchenglobalTwitter: twitter.com/sarahchenglobal