Crescent Ridge VC

Navigating the profitability vs. growth conundrum is a significant challenge for startups in 2024. Maria Gonzalez-Blanch, Managing Partner at Crescent Ridge VC offers a unique perspective: "Slow down before running fast." Here's how startups can balance these priorities: 🔎 Early-Stage Focus: Emphasize product testing, market validation, and refining the business model before scaling, using minimal funds to reduce waste and strengthen the product. 🌱 Sustainable Growth: For companies already in growth mode, prioritize core activities, streamline operations, and form strategic partnerships to manage resources effectively. 📊 Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage customer data to allocate resources for maximum impact and focus on upselling and cross-selling within the existing customer base. By adopting a measured and strategic approach, startups can achieve both profitability and sustainable growth, even in a tight financial landscape. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g5MVXwpK #Startup #VentureCapital #Profitability #Growth #SustainableGrowth #Entrepreneurship #CrescentRidgeVC #Innovation #BusinessStrategy

Customer-Centric Innovation with portfolio founder, seda bilginer from ESAS NYC🌿 Seda and co-founder, Amanda Sichon's, commitment to listening to customer needs drives the brand’s innovation. Seda's philosophy, "Our best products were born from our customers' needs. Every category we developed started with an overwhelming number of customer requests," highlights Esas NYC's dedication to creating products that truly resonate with their audience. By prioritizing customer feedback, Esas ensures that every product is crafted to meet real demands, fostering a loyal and satisfied customer base. This customer-centric approach not only drives product excellence but also strengthens the bond between Esas NYC and its community. Learn more from Seda and Esas Beauty here: https://lnkd.in/gHb9rkzA #crescentridgevc #4DWealth #IntellectualProsperity #Innovation #womenseconomy #esasbeauty

💡 Thought of the Day: Maximizing Cash Efficiency I recently caught up with a founder who still has a sizeable amount of cash from their last fundraising round. They have a very low burn rate and don’t need so much cash on hand immediately. During our conversation, it came up that all this money has been sitting in a checking account for almost 24 months, not invested in money markets or other safe, liquid options that could yield an additional 5%+ per year and could have covered several months of extra runway. It’s a simple adjustment, but one that could make a big difference over time. Founders, if you have excess cash from your last fundraising round that you don’t need right away, consider moving it into a safe investment option. It’s a straightforward way to maximize your resources and boost your runway. 💼📈 #scrappyentrepreneurs #capitalefficiency

Curious what we invest in at Crescent Ridge VC?🕵🏻♀️ At Crescent Ridge VC, we believe in investing with purpose and passion. Our investment approach focuses on supporting entrepreneurs solving deep problems in three key areas: 🩺 Health: Supporting entrepreneurs reimagining health and wellness systems, with a special emphasis on women’s health. Such as companies like Lilu, Inc, Cooler Heads Care, Needed, and more! 👥 People: Backing founders who address deep problems for overlooked communities, small businesses, and consumers. 🌍 Planet: Partnering with those determined to improve our planet, always keeping sustainability top of mind. We create value by prioritizing business fundamentals, providing tools for more than just financial returns. Our capital is patient, founder-friendly, and values-aligned, fostering strong relationships with the entrepreneurs we support. Explore more about how we’re making a difference. #VentureCapital #Investment #HealthInnovation #SocialImpact #Sustainability #Entrepreneurship #CrescentRidgeVC

Is entrepreneurship becoming an exclusive club? 👑 In her insightful article, Allison Long Pettine explores the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, from the misfits of the past to the elite entrepreneurs of today. She calls for a return to our roots, where pragmatism, resilience, and creativity drive innovation. It's time to celebrate and support those who challenge the status quo and build businesses that solve real problems. 3 Key Highlights: 😅 The Misfits of Yesteryear: Allison emphasizes that the original entrepreneurs were often outsiders and pragmatists who succeeded through resilience and determination. 🎩 The Rise of the Elite Entrepreneur: Today's entrepreneurs often come from privileged backgrounds, which has shifted the perception and accessibility of entrepreneurship. 🫂 A Call to Return to Our Roots: Pettine advocates for lowering barriers, valuing pragmatism, and fostering resilience to create a more inclusive and innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g3rEPEfX #crescentridgevc #4DWealth #Inclusivity #Innovation #entrepreneurship #resilience #thoughtleaders

Navigating the Information Age: Key Insights for Business Success from Managing Partner, Allison Long Pettine and Maria Gonzalez-Blanch 🌐 In the era of digital transformation, companies must elevate their game to meet the heightened expectations of informed consumers. Our latest blog, Informed Audiences, Elevated Expectations, by Allison and Maria, highlights three pivotal insights driving this change. 1️⃣ Transparency Is Non-Negotiable: Consumers can easily verify business practices, making transparency essential. Esas Beauty exemplifies this by sourcing synthetic-free ingredients and prioritizing environmental health, gaining customer loyalty through their transparent approach. 2️⃣ Quality and Value Take Center Stage: With abundant access to product reviews, delivering high-quality, valuable products is crucial. Needed showcases this by maintaining rigorous supply chain standards and launching Needed Labs, reinforcing their commitment to women's health research and sustainable practices. 3️⃣ Cultivating Brand Values: Building credibility and resonating with audiences through authentic brand values is more important than ever. Companies like Esas Beauty and Needed lead by example, demonstrating how deeply rooted values can foster loyalty and trust. You can read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/gSXdRm39 #crescentridgevc #4DWealth #IntellectualProsperity #Innovation #Creativity #sandiego #vcs #transparency

Happy Independence Day from the Crescent Ridge VC family to yours🇺🇸 Today we honor the community we live in the opportunities we have the privilege of accessing. For this Independence day, we would like to send you our gratitude for every partner, founder, and investor we've had the opportunity to work with throughout the last few years.

Driving innovation in clinical trials with Luke Stewart, the visionary CEO & Co-Founder of Adaptic Health🩺 Luke is a Praxis Labs founder with an impressive track record of building "zero to one" enterprise products at Cisco, Facebook, and Saama Technologies, Luke has leveraged his expertise to create Adaptic's groundbreaking SaaS platform. This platform revolutionizes the clinical trial process, enabling researchers to accelerate the development of safe, effective treatments. Notably, Luke’s leadership at Saama led to the launch of a cloud platform that Pfizer utilized to expedite COVID vaccine trials. Beyond his professional achievements, Luke is dedicated to community and faith. He serves on the pastoral team and board of VIVE Church, which boasts 11 locations globally. An academic powerhouse, Luke holds an MBA from Stanford and dual degrees in math and computer science from Duke. Residing in Palo Alto, CA, with his wife and three daughters, Luke exemplifies the balance of career excellence and personal commitment. Connect with Luke and learn more about Adaptic Health: https://lnkd.in/g-9GmppF #crescentridgevc #4DWealth #IntellectualProsperity #Innovation #adaptichealth #lukestewart

This past Monday, nearly 300 attendees came to the 1st Mondays of Summer – Networking and Expert Panel powered by J.P. Morgan at the UC San Diego Design and Innovation building! We had a night focused on Investor and Founder relationship building, fundraising how-to's, and networking. This was the opportunity for early to late-stage founders to find out how to get funding for their startups, learn from seasoned investors and founders, and find the resources they need to jumpstart and grow their ideas. David Loseke, Executive Director at J.P. Morgan and Startup San Diego board member, welcomed local investors and founders to the panel: ➡️ Gary Benitt, Managing Partner at Social Leverage ➡️ Maria Gonzalez-Blanch, Managing Partner, Crescent Ridge VC ➡️ Kate Dilligan, Founder & CEO, Cooler Heads Care ➡️ Doug Hecht, CEO at Walla Lisa Barnhouse, Executive Director of Startup San Diego, and Paul Roben, PhD, Vice Chancellor of Innovation and Commercialization at UC San Diego, said opening remarks. Also, thank you to our capital groups and VC firms that participated in the Investor AMA sessions: ➡️ ATEL Capital Group ➡️ Keshif Ventures, LLC ➡️ Crescent Ridge VC ➡️ NuFund Venture Group ➡️ J.P. Morgan Startup Banking ➡️ Social Leverage 🚀 Check out the full recap, recording, and photos here: https://ow.ly/hHnH50Srouv 🚀 See you at the next #1stMondays on September 9th! Get early bird tickets: https://ow.ly/O3Fn50Srouu #1stMondays #StartupSD #investor #founders #networking #sandiegoevents #entrepreneurship

Congrats Kate Dilligan and Cooler Heads Care!