Caitlin Reimers Brumme

Participating in Cohort 14 of the VC Lab has been an energizing experience so far. I am learning so much about the ins and outs of being an emerging fund manager and how to succeed in this space. Today they hosted a panel for Women in VC that provided some real world advice from some fantastic panelists. The curriculum is rigorous for sure, but rewarding. If you are curious about why this is such an exciting area check out this article. #venturecapital #vc #investing https://lnkd.in/gMMM_mwp

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I have had the privilege of knowing some of the world's most prominent philanthropists and foundations, learning firsthand the critical role we can play in driving systemic change. Our approach to grant-making and philanthropic strategies goes beyond mere charity; it harnesses the power to create substantial impact. With our Fashion Climate Fund, we are mobilizing essential resources to steer the market toward a future where all products and business models positively impact people and the planet. When we first set out to scale solutions at Aii, we recognized the necessity of catalytic funding to prepare proven solutions for broader implementation. We also acknowledged the importance of identifying and evaluating potential solutions using a data-driven, science-based approach. Moving from pilot projects to large-scale implementation requires significant resources. This is the mission of the Fashion Climate Fund. Our goal is to deploy $250 million by 2030 in catalytic capital, which we aim to leverage to drive a total of $2 billion toward supporting producers (i.e., suppliers) in their decarbonization efforts. This strategy not only future-proofs their businesses but also contributes to global climate action targets. DM me to learn more about becoming a LEAD PARTNER! Join the leadership. Apparel Impact Institute. The Schmidt Family Foundation The 11th Hour Project The DOEN Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation PVH FOUNDATION INC TARGET FOUNDATION HSBC lululemon H&M Group Laudes Foundation Roy A. Hunt Foundation

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I had a lot of fun recording a podcast episode with Shiva Singh Sangwan. We discussed the evolution of Humba Ventures & Susa Ventures; tips for raising and building a fund; how to improve investment sourcing & picking; the role of luck in investing, and so on. https://lnkd.in/eiqsStej

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NM Entrepreneurs—Thinking of joining an accelerator? Here's good insight from The Wharton School: "Accelerators that include more training activities, like pitching competitions, advice specific to certain industries, and structured learning sessions, tend to improve startup business success rates after they finish the accelerator. A few in-state accelerators exist for all types of businesses (not just high-growth tech). Choose wisely, AND make sure you are willing to do the work. #NMstartups #NMInno https://lnkd.in/gMMSYVRW

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This article by Forbes encapsulates the vision and drive of Shally Shanker and what we as a team at AiiM Partners are driving to solve. We focus on the untapped opportunities where capital remains scarce, the ‘missing middle’, the unclaimed territory between the early seed funds and the larger, institutional funds investing at later stages. As Shally highlights, "We invest in companies that are building products that solve a critical climate problem and are scaling through rapid commercial traction. Solving meaningful climate issues often requires deep or hard tech solutions. It has not been easy for such companies to raise capital recently as most climate investors prefer ‘asset-lite’ solutions to climate, particularly those centered around software. Climate is not only a software problem". Read the full article to learn more. https://lnkd.in/diW9VBaU Get in touch if you want to be part of the solution. #climate #startups #venturecapital #impactinvesting

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💡 Monday inspiration: Impact networks in times of unparalleled division. In a world marked by division, this article from Valerie Marouche and Louisa Mammeri on Wasan Network offers a radically honest perspective on the role of impact networks. It beautifully compares these networks to mycelium, the underground fungus that breaks down matter to nourish its intricate web. Like mycelium, what’s currently decaying in our world can serve as the seeds for what is coming next, while retaining the ancient wisdom stored within older connections. This intergenerational wisdom benefits not just the old but also nurtures the younger trees in the network. Knowing that valuable experiences remain stored in these relationships offers solace if we support dissolution with care and intention. I found the article enlightening and believe it provides valuable insights for anyone looking to understand or navigate our complex global landscape. Here’s the link to read more:

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Throughout the year, Buyouts gathers intel about the most talked about emerging funds in the market from our networks of LPs and fundraisers. Emerging managers, including first-timers, remain of interest even in the tough fundraising markets. In a Probitas Partners survey last year, 75% of 69 institutional investor respondents said they were interested in exploring new firm spin-outs. Only 2% of respondents had no interest in first-time funds. The updated list includes around 45 names of funds in market that have gotten the attention of investors, including Otro Capital, Iron Path Capital, 5th Line Capital Century House Partners, Dynasty Equity, Citation Capital, Broad Sky Partners, Allied Industrial Partners, and Highland Rim Capital. #Venturecapitalists #Emergingfunds #EmergingManagers #Limitedpartners #Generalpartners #Investments #fundraising #Newfunds #Buyouts #LPs #GPs #VCs #Funds

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Today marks a groundbreaking moment for BLCK VC and our fellow collaborators—Diversity VC, All Raise, 2Gether-International, SomosVC, StartOut, and VetsinTech—as we proudly announce the launch of the Diversity Data Alliance. This important alliance underscores our unwavering commitment to nurturing a venture capital and entrepreneurial ecosystem abundant in equity and inclusiveness. By standardizing and linking our data, we empower ourselves with the essential tools to track deeper trends that have, until now, eluded us to identify and fill funding gaps for historically excluded investors, founders, and operators. We can’t change what we do not measure, and now with the Diversity Data Alliance, we're now equipped to do both. Join us in this mission. Learn more and get involved: https://lnkd.in/eEZKdrac #DiversityDataAlliance #BLCKVC #VentureCapital #MeasureToChange

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Have a story to tell... Use Narratize AI Co-Authoring platform to tell your stories in an impactful manner. Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD and the entire team is committed to helping you in becoming amazing storytellers. Check out their impressive work at https://lnkd.in/gnNYHSSX Start telling your stories with Narratize AI as your co-author. #generativeai #storytelling #innovation #aicoauthoring #innovators #researchers #impactstories #startups #problemsolvers #AI #AIStartup

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How to Profit by Divesting from Companies with Anti-Israel Stances As savvy investors, we must always be alert to the implications of a company's political stance on its financial health. Take, for instance, hims & hers, whose CEO, Andrew Dudum, recently made a controversial statement about hiring pro-Palestinian protesters just days before a potentially underwhelming quarterly earnings report. This statement, coinciding with a 5% drop in share value—erasing $100 million in market equity—raises the suspicion that it might be a psychological maneuver by a CEO fearing for his job ahead of poor earnings results. Given hims & hers' history of underperformance, with shares gaining only 8.32% since its IPO compared to a 23.33% increase in the S&P 500 and similar growth in the Nasdaq, investors could have seen better returns elsewhere. Furthermore, analysts are also showing signs of concern. Recently, Jefferies downgraded hims & hers from 'Buy' to 'Hold' and reduced the price target to $15 from $17, signaling a cautious stance on the company's growth prospects. This downgrade, coupled with the anticipated poor earnings, paints a troubling picture for the future of hims & hers. Additionally, the related Supernova festival tragedy on 10/7, where victims mirror the typical hims & hers customer base, might further alienate its clientele. Customers may sympathize more with the victims than with a company perceived to be exploiting political events to distract from business failures. This scenario suggests potential for increased customer churn and a continued decline in share value, making it a critical time for shareholders to consider divesting. For those open to risk, short selling could capitalize on anticipated downturns.

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Our view on the current venture capital markets. Curious to hear other investors' thoughts but I feel like seed stage valuation, at least in the gaming and entertainment sectors, has finally come down to the pre-covid level. Since February or March this year, we started seeing that the founders are willing to raise a $1-2m seed round at a $10m-ish valuation, not like $4-5m at $20-25m in 2022 and 2023. What are you guys seeing?

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Super helpful article and accompanying doc with a #Startup #Equity Calculator to determine the equity for early hires, thanks to Pear VC head of talent Matt Birnbaum! Thanks for sharing Pejman Nozad! 🙏🏼 You can read more here How to structure startup equity for early hires: https://lnkd.in/ggmpT5-Y Google Doc: https://lnkd.in/gjsvths6

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Last month, Uncork Capital celebrated its 20th anniversary with a jubilant gathering attended by 420 guests, marking two decades of success in the venture capital realm. Over the years, the firm, alongside industry peers like First Round Capital and Felicis, has witnessed remarkable growth, now managing billions of dollars in assets. This expansion reflects the flourishing landscape of venture capital, with the industry experiencing exponential growth in investment. Moreover, positive shifts in VC norms, such as the evolving attitudes towards board seats, underscore a commitment to providing tailored support to startups, enhancing their growth prospects. Amidst discussions surrounding sectors like AI, optimism prevails, emphasizing a steadfast dedication to investing in innovative ventures with lasting impact. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/efN6-Spd Branded Hospitality Ventures Jeff Clavier Susan Liu Ashley Cravens Tripp Jones Sarah Du Andy McLoughlin Amy Saper #innovation #technology #management #venturecapital #startup

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Awesome to chat about Team Equity with startup leaders today at William Buck. Equity can be a great motivator for startups and growth companies, when you have the right compliance structure, balanced with awesome communication and culture. A great team equity plan involves Founders and executives buying into and setting a winning strategy and culture, and finance, legal, and people operations bringing it all together! Thanks Jack Qi and 😎Alex Millar from Hudled for being awesome partners and putting this on! Cake Equity Callum Davidson Kim H.

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To all #founders and #entrepreneurs out there, our intro meetings are conversational and easy going. Feel free to message me to setup a call. Learn what Pioneera Ventures can do for you!

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We must learn from past crises. These insights from the President of the National Academy of Medicine, Prof. Victor Dzau are fundamental. We are in an era when extreme events are becoming more frequent and more intense. It is essential to build #resiliency and to distill lessons from past crises that can be applied to face #future shocks but also advance #innovation outside periods of crisis. This post results from a joint initiative between GFCC | The Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Thanks for the partnership Kazuyoshi Shimada & Osamu Kobayashi, and the work in this piece Elaine Rodriguez, Sc.D..

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In the following HBR post, articulates four roles of a Chief of Staff: 1. Integrator: connecting work streams that would otherwise remain siloed 2. Communicator: linking the leadership team and the broader organization 3. Honest Broker and Truth Teller: when the leader needs a wide-ranging view without turf considerations 4. Confidant:  without an organizational agenda Personally, as a process person, the first two come naturally however it's the last two (I have found) that identify the top tier Chief of Staff. The role truly is about making the leader more effective and ensuring there are no gaps to fill. https://lnkd.in/g6M9jhAV

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Attention all founders! The game has changed, and the playing field is tougher than ever. With economic headwinds and a funding crunch, you can't afford to wing it anymore. Board meetings are no longer just a formality - they're your lifeline to navigating turbulent waters. In this article, I've shared some hard-won wisdom on how to run a killer board meeting that extracts maximum value from your all-star team. Whether you're preparing for your next raise or fighting to survive, this guide is a useful blueprint for masterful board meetings.

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Over the years, we at GFR Fund have solidified our investment thesis, which is that we invest in "emerging digitally native communities." These communities can be built around games, social media, and any consumer applications. Now, founders have many easy-to-use tools to build user communities, such as Discord, X/twitter, Instagram, etc, and we believe the founders should start building communities even before they launch a product. The communities can help founders: - reach PMF faster - acquire users cheaper - retain and engage users longer - build better UX/UI, and - hire early employees Below, you can see how RTFKT and Omeda Studios built the community and then worked with them to create a product the users really wanted. We would love to talk to the founders who think the community is essential in building a product!

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