Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands | Technology

Today’s episode we focus on the wonderful world of consumer fintech and our guest today is Drew Glover, General Partner of Fiat Ventures and Founding Partner of Fiat Growth. Fiat Growth is a growth consultancy helping to scale some of the largest fintech companies out there - Chime, Lemonade, Copper. They decided to launch a VC fund that focuses on emerging fintech companies. Want to receive updates on all the VC fundraises in consumer?Subscribe Here To The Newsletter

Our guest today is Brian Fenty, Co-Founder & CEO of TodayTix. TodayTix is the digital gateway to live shows, arts, and cultural experiences.We discuss:His introduction to Broadway & ticketingHow Broadway initially tried to appeal to younger demographics and failedHow TodayTix partners with theatresThe threat of TicketMasterWhy they didn’t pivot during COVIDTheir acquisition strategy & more

Our guest today is Martin Mignot, Partner at Index Ventures. Index Ventures is a global firm that operates as one team across three offices (London, SF, NYC) and invests at all stages. Martin opened Index’s office in New York a couple of years ago. We discuss the massive consumer opportunity in New York that Index has tapped into through, the future of transportation and delivery, and the differences Martin has seen between European and American consumer markets.

Listen in as we explore the exciting journey of Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods. Miguel shares his experience transitioning from successful stints at Kind Snacks and Chalula to establishing his own brand. Inspired by a disparity in the market, he decided to revolutionize the Mexican food aisle by creating authentic, plant-based, non-GMO products. He also discusses the pivotal decision to quickly shift to retail and the profound impact of AI technology on the brand's success.Our conversation navigates the unique challenges and opportunities that arose during the launch of Somos Foods. Miguel sheds light on the creation process, the impact of the pandemic, and how his conversations with his wife and friend Daniel Lubecki, founder of KindSnacks, sparked the genesis of the company. Discover how their passion for authentic Mexican cuisine and the need for innovation in the market led to the creation of this game-changing brand. Lastly, we discuss the importance of retail expansion and product innovation for Somos Foods. Miguel offers insights into the company's unique approach to market expansion, pricing and margin structure, and how they successfully created a complete customer experience. He also shares his thoughts on the value of social listening and how it led to the creation of popular recipes. So, tune in and learn about the transformational journey of Somos Foods, their innovative strategies, and their quest to bring authentic Mexican cuisine to your kitchen.

Our guest today is Mike Jones, one of the co-founders of Science Inc. Science Inc. is a venture studio and fund that develops, invests in consumer-focused businesses. Some of their portfolio includes Liquid Death, Dollar Shave Club, Grove Collaborative. Mike previously founded UsePlane, Tsavo Media and served as the CEO of MySpace. We discuss how he accesses what founders he wants to work with, what truly makes a good idea, how Liquid Death came together, their growth opportunities and he met Mike C, what he learned from Dollar Shave Club about making viral content, and much more.

Our guest today is Gail Becker, founder of CAULIPOWER, the most disruptive company in the better-for-you frozen food space named as one of the top 10 World’s Most Innovative Food Companies in 2022 by Fast Company. The hyper-growth company reached more than $100m in revenue in three years under her leadership as CEO. We discuss how and why she left corporate America to start Caulipower, her approach to growth through retail, how she thought about fundraising and managing her cap table, what capital efficiently means to her and product expansion. Without further ado, here’s Gail.

Kevin Parakkattu, Partner at Plug Play Ventures, discusses the potential of AI in media and the challenges faced by direct-to-consumer brands. He also explores growth opportunities in the venture capital space and how Plug Play Ventures creates value for their investments.

Our guest today is Helene Servillon, Founder of JourneyOne Ventures. JourneyOne Ventures is a 100% woman and minority-owned early-stage fund that invests in the billion-dollar opportunities of misunderstood markets that are highly regulated and fragmented.We discuss:The opportunity to invest in cannabis companiesDifferent regulations within cannabisHow she built her LP networkOther “vice” industries she finds attractiveWhy she’s more focused on infrastructure than brands**Sponsor***This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. Vauban from Carta is the easiest way to launch & run your venture investing. They offer SPVs, and fund vehicles for GPs at all stages of the journey - from your first syndicate to operating a multi-million dollar venture fund. Their end-to-end platform automates your back-office and manual workflows so you can focus on what matters: finding the next unicorn & building investor relationships.Click Here to Get Started - https://structurer.vauban.io/

Our guest today is Matt Alexander, founder & CEO of Neighborhood Goods. A new type of department store, featuring an ever-changing landscape of the world's most thoughtful, progressive, and exciting brands. This was a live podcast episode in Dallas that we did a few weeks back. Really want to thank RevTech Ventures for hosting us. Without further ado, here’s Matt.The Consumer VC represents the opinions and beliefs of Michael Gelb and does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Manufactured Networks, Inc. **Sponsor***This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. Vauban from Carta is the easiest way to launch & run your venture investing. They offer SPVs, and fund vehicles for GPs at all stages of the journey - from your first syndicate to operating a multi-million dollar venture fund. Their end-to-end platform automates your back-office and manual workflows so you can focus on what matters: finding the next unicorn & building investor relationships.Click Here to Get Started - https://structurer.vauban.io/

Thank you to my brother, Rob Gelb for the introduction to our guest today, Nigel Eccles, Co-Founder of Vault. Vault is introducing Digital Music Collectibles as a new format for collecting exclusive, authenticated, limited-run collectibles from your favorite artists. This episode brought me back, I worked in music for the first few years in my career and am an avid music listener. Previously, Nigel co-founded and was the CEO of FanDuel and is the #1 sportsbook in the US, a leading daily fantasy sports platform. We discuss why he left FanDuel and got into crypto, how artists  are currently monetizing their music and the void that Vault fills, the type of artist they are looking to attract and how he thinks about fandom in the digital age.The Consumer VC represents the opinions and beliefs of Michael Gelb and does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Manufactured Networks, Inc. **Sponsor***This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. Vauban from Carta is the easiest way to launch & run your venture investing. They offer SPVs, and fund vehicles for GPs at all stages of the journey - from your first syndicate to operating a multi-million dollar venture fund. Their end-to-end platform automates your back-office and manual workflows so you can focus on what matters: finding the next unicorn & building investor relationships.Click Here to Get Started - https://structurer.vauban.io/