The Enthusiast: Founders and VCs beyond the Valley
Pat Alex
"Entrepreneurial Talent is Global" - On The Enthusiast, Host Pat Alex chats with some of the most fascinating Founders, Operators and Investors Beyond Silicon Valley. Every two weeks, he sits down with the likes of Arjuna Costa (Flourish), Paulo Passoni, Jeffrey Paine (Golden Gate Ventures), Gerry Giacoman (Clara) and Monica Brand Engel (Quona) to dissect their challenges around scaling, fundraising, managing boards and company leadership. Taken together, the guests have raised venture capital in the hundreds of millions and are behind their regions' biggest business and venture successes paving the way towards a more equitable and diverse future. Follow the newsletter to always stay up to date with the latest episodes: https://linktr.ee/Patalex
Episodes
Mentioned books
4 snips
Nov 7, 2022 • 37min
[Operator Stories] Noureddine Tayebi (Yassir) on closing a $150M Series-B in the Maghreb region, paying it forward and the multiplier effect
On this episode Pat sits down with Noureddine Tayebi, founder and CEO of leading ride-hailing super app Yassir, the YC-backed company started out in 2017 to provide on-demand services in French-speaking Africa quickly scaling beyond its native Algeria into neighbouring Morocco and Tunisia. Last year the company closed a historic US$30M Series-A backed by the likes of WndrCo, FJ Labs, DN Capital, Kismet and Endeavor Catalyst. Now they just announced a US$ 150M Series-B led by BOND, with p...
Oct 25, 2022 • 42min
[Operator Stories] Jacobo Singer (dLocal) on bringing their payment solutions to Africa, lessons on expansion and promoting talent from within
On this episode Pat sits down with Jacobo Singer, President of leading payment processor dLocal. During the conversation, they dive into the company's expansion journey from tiny Uruguay onto conquering huge markets such as Brazil and India, the company methodology on identifying and promoting talent from within and how they are trailblazing their way onto the African continent. Jacobo is currently based out of South Africa to lead the company's expansion across the continent. On this episode...
Oct 11, 2022 • 53min
[Investor Journey] Francisco Alvarez-Demalde (Riverwood Capital) on board dynamics, keeping the bar high in founder selection & the importance of human capital in building a generational fund
On this episode Pat sits down with one of the veterans of the tech investment space, Francisco Alvarez-Demalde, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Riverwood Capital. Alongside the 15 years of the firm, Francisco has seen it all and provides valuable insights into how to build a generational firm, how to extract the most value from boards and his key investment criteria. On this episode you will learn about: The origin story of Riverwood Capital Francisco's take on identifying and ha...
Sep 27, 2022 • 54min
[Operator Stories] Reflecting on 6 years at Rappi - Clara Gold on execution, hustle and scaling growth teams
On this episode Pat sits down with Clara Gold, former Director of Growth and Product of Latin American superapp Rappi. We dive into her journey, how Rappi has evolved along those years and how she personally grew within the company as it went through hyper growth. The narrative ties the Rappi expansion years to the growth of the LatAm ecosystem, putting into context how fundamental those years where. You will learn about:How to grow with the companyWhy a culture of hustling and relentless exe...
Sep 13, 2022 • 39min
[Strategic DeepDive] Matt Cole (Suma SaaS) on the art of leadership, agility and supporting SMEs in LatAm
On this episode Pat sits down with Matt Cole, CEO of Suma SaaS to talk about his approach to leadership, how leadership styles have to evolve in VUCA environments and what makes a successful leader. We also dive into his journey into startups in LatAm and the future plans for Suma. On this episode you will learn about: What makes a successful leaderWhat is paradoxical leadership and how to implement it Why coaching is critical to evolve and grow your leadership skillsYou can fi...
Aug 30, 2022 • 54min
[Operator Stories] Tiago Costa Alves (Golden Gate Ventures) on building tech teams, mapping Asia and the value of an Entrepreneur in Residence
On this episode Pat sits down with Tiago Costa Alves, Golden Gate's first EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) to talk about doing business and scaling in SEA, his own journey into startups and the region, what the EIR role is about and why it made sense for Golden Gate to embrace it. On this episode you will learn about: Cultural differences in and across SEA What to be aware of when scaling tech teams in the region The startup opportunity in SEAWhy an EIR adds value to any fund an...
Aug 16, 2022 • 58min
Endeavor Deciphering LatAm VC Study - Panel with Magdalena Coronel (IDB Lab), Daniela Izquierdo (Foodology), Andy Tsao (SVB), Adolfo Blasco (Nazca)
This episode is a recording from a panel conversation at Endeavor on the "Deciphering LatAm VC" study, a research that dives into how LatAm VCs make decisions, are structured and add value. The conversation starts with a brief 15min presentation by Pat on the core findings of the study and then dives into a panel discussion with Magdalena Coronel (CIO @IDB Labs), Daniela Izquierdo (CEO & Co-Founder, Foodology), Andy Tsao (SVB), Adolfo Blasco (Nazca). We dive into: The current state o...
Aug 2, 2022 • 39min
[Investor Journey] Charlie Graham-Brown (Seedstars) on investing in emerging markets, the beginnings of Seedstars and how to build strong growth teams
On this episode Pat sat down with Seedstars Co-Founder and CIO Charlie Graham Brown to dissect the evolution of investing and entrepreneurship in emerging markets over the last decade, how Seedstars got off the ground and what is next for the organisation. On this episode you will learn about: Charlie's way into the world of startupsThe origins of Seedstars and what is next for the organisationHow to build high performing growth teams You can find Charlie on LinkedIn here. For more ...
Jul 19, 2022 • 46min
[Strategic DeepDive] Dan Green (Gunderson Dettmer) on the current VC environment and what it means for deal negotiations, contractual features and more
On this episode Pat sits down with Dan Green, Partner and Co-Head of the Latin America Practice of Gunderson Dettmer, a leading global law firm on VC transactions. Based on his decade long experience as legal counsel on some of the most important transactions in LatAm, we dive into the current macro-situation and what it means for entrepreneurs out there fundraising and negotiating with VCs. Dan provides crucial tips and lessons on how to manoeuvre, the current environment, how to create leve...
Jul 5, 2022 • 43min
[Investor Journey] Allen Taylor (Endeavor Catalyst) on scaling the fund to US$500M AUM doubling down on Endeavor’s mission & current macro-environment and implications for emerging markets
On this episode Pat sits down with Allen Taylor, Managing Director of Endeavor Catalyst, Endeavor's own investment vehicle that invests in a rules-based manner into Endeavor entrepreneurs in the nonprofits +40 markets.We dive into how the fund has scaled from its early beginnings in 2012 to the recently announced close of fund IV with a US$292M fund size. On this episode you will learn about: Allen's career with Endeavor The current macro-environment and how it translates into a cha...
