How I Invest with David Weisburd

Venus Phillips, Managing Director at Kresge Foundation, discusses mission-driven investing, risks in China & India, and building LP relationships with David Weisburd on this podcast. They explore the foundation's venture strategy, revitalizing Detroit, accessing premier VC funds, and fostering true partnerships between GPs and LPs.

John Merrill, Partner at GroveStreet sits down with David Weisburd to discuss GroveStreet’s $10.5B SMA model. In addition, they talk about the keys to building long-term SMA relationships, a highly selective set of criteria for managers and reasons why GP’s should prefer rigorous, discerning LPs vs. fast-followers. (0:00) Introduction and background of John Merrill and Grove Street (1:34) Benefits of separately managed accounts (SMAs) for institutional investors (3:39) The problem Grove Street is solving for clients (5:03) Importance of alignment in asset management (6:30) Investment process and criteria for selecting funds (10:13) Client management and characteristics Grove Street looks for in clients (13:25) Benefits of a boutique client model (16:17) Studying under David Swenson and his impact (20:14) The give and take in LP-GP relationships (22:27) Importance of landing an anchor investor for new funds (24:25) Characteristics of a good partnership between LPs and GPs (29:43) Characteristics of a top limited partner (33:17) Global investment insights and local biases (35:09) Final thoughts and closing remarks

Jamie Rhode discusses investing in emerging managers, friction points between LPs and managers, leveraging insights in manager selection, and diligence of first time funds. They explore importance of grit in founders, underwriting first time funds, expanding beyond, and portfolio construction as a venture LP.

Ben Black, Co-Founder of Akkadian Ventures, shares insights on RAISE Global Summit and venture capital fundraising strategies. Discussions include building successful partnerships, adding unique value to LPs, challenges faced by emerging managers, and the significance of operational excellence in fund entrepreneurship.

Alex Edelson, founder of Slipstream Investors, discusses the benefits of investing in VC fund of funds with David Weisburd. They cover topics like portfolio construction, due diligence process, ideal number of funds for diversification, assessing fund managers, importance of founder references, gaining access to oversubscribed funds, and value of transparency with GPs.

Former Senior Portfolio Manager Peter Teneriello discusses Texas Municipal Retirement System's $1B venture capital deployment. Topics include pacing models, aligned investment teams, and investing in median performing managers.

Jeff Smith, Managing Director of Private Investments at the Smithsonian’s endowment, discusses the Smithsonian's advantage in venture capital. They talk about capital allocation, exit strategies, evaluating new venture managers, and the importance of communicating effectively with LPs.

Muthu Muthiah, CIO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, discusses governance, systems, deploying $2 billion, endowment style investing, asset allocation vs manager selection, and venture strategy. Topics include power of generalists, structured governance, asset allocation trust, overcoming challenges, and venture capital philosophy for healthcare portfolio.

Erin Harkless Moore of Pivotal Ventures discusses their $1B mission for equality. They explore gender gap closure, team management, and the impact of venture dollars. The episode delves into diverse voices in decision-making, strategic investments in the tech industry, and inclusive investment strategies. Also covered are due diligence practices, leadership styles, and integrating impact with finance.

Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, discusses the institutional case for Bitcoin, diversifying portfolios with digital assets, and expanding the GDP of the internet through public blockchains. They explore Bitcoin's bull arguments, investment perspectives, and the evolving appeal of crypto assets, highlighting Bitwise's human-centric approach in the market.