Jake Disraeli

Wondering what Regenerstive Design is and how to implement it? Excited to lead this important conversation. Please join me! Grateful for Portland Design Thinkers for hosting this series. #innovation #planetpositive #naturebasedsolutions #regenerativearchitecture #regenerstivedesign #impactinvesting

9

1 Comment

What is game changing about Twig Ventures model? Levi Reed and their team gives *hands on* fractional support for a few months before helping you bring your baby to investors. As a first generation college student, WOC founder, that generous act of service speaks volumes as I've really had to build my network from the ground up and that access to top quality support is PRICELESS! 👉🏽 Investors - fill out their typeform to learn more 👉🏽 Founders - DM their Twig Ventures page on LI directly You rock Levi!

11

2 Comments

At last week’s ClimateTech Coffee 🚲 Bryan White and I were joined by Kimberly Gilbert, PhD to hear about her work on Carbon Neutralization and Ocean Storage (CNOS) through her company pHathom. Here’s a recap: The ocean naturally absorbs CO2 over time, but we’ve added so much that the ocean has become increasingly acidic. Ocean pH has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 globally over the last hundred years, and as pH drops it becomes harder for coral-based organisms to form shells. To combat this, Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) is an intervention that both reverses ocean acidification and removes CO2 from the atmosphere. Challenges with traditional OAE: - When you add the alkalinity into the ocean, it spreads out. It’s hard to measure the change in pH. - You don’t know exactly when the extra CO2 will be absorbed. Modeling and measurement companies are trying to help with this problem. Advantages of CNOS: - Co2 is captured directly at a coastal power plant or refinery, and then the concentrated Co2 is pumped into water that has limestone (and/or other alkaline materials) in it.  - This means the Co2 is dissolved onsite and the pH can be equilibrated onsite, which makes accurate measurement more feasible. Factors that affect progress:  - We’ll start seeing more companies enter in this space as the chemistry and its impacts are better understood and seen as safe  - Local and national permitting are a huge bottleneck - On the international permitting level, the London Protocol has a blanket ban on ocean geoengineering for anything except for research. There were good reasons for doing that, but it’s unclear who decides when that can change and the circumstances under which the ban is lifted. (Note: pHathom is not doing geoengineering; it’s doing water treatment on-site and releasing it back as ocean water) Open questions for the category/technology: - Can they come up with enough low-cost alkalinity sources, and get them in a way that doesn’t cause additional environmental damage or Co2 emissions?  - This approach will require pumping a lot of water. How much will that cost and how can the cost be driven down?  - Putting 100 plants’ worth of bicarbonate into the ocean is likely fine for ocean health relative to the climate benefit, but what is the point where the tradeoffs cross over? Some groups doing good work in this space:  [C]Worthy Carbon to Sea Initiative  University Research: UC Santa Barbara, University of Tasmania, GEOMAR, Dalhousie University, Scripps Join us for the next one in May! Details coming soon, and you can get updates by subscribing to the series page here: https://lnkd.in/g7DTGm2V

19

Thanks to Kanhai Kapadia for hosting me on the Hindsight podcast. It was a lot of fun talking about the importance of data in helping brands manage profitability and also how both Consumer Brands and SaaS companies are transitioning to this post-zirp environment #dtc #analytics

21

1 Comment

I said it, so here's my take on today's Outdoor Retailer show. There is something new (and old) happening. IMO, they should lean in and position it as the place to discover tomorrow's brands, and the buyers will follow. I love Grassroots Outdoor Alliance but for completely separate reasons. At Grasscon, we see our extended family (our retailers) for a reunion twice a year. It's amazing and helps us build real relationships. But we also need to meet some new people, you know. We're still young! The industry needs a place for the next generation to make their mark. Maybe that's OR again? “We met retailers that are brand new, and they’re going to buy their first assortment and are looking for smaller, newer brands that everybody else doesn’t have. And that’s something that you don’t find at the other shows we attend – retailers are looking for new brands here,” said Andrew Gibbs-Dabney, founder of LIVSN, an exhibitor at Outdoor Retailer. “I love seeing people that I only see once or twice a year. When we’re in our little bubble back in Arkansas designing, we’re not out in the world. This is our chance to go out and test the things that we think are great, get feedback, meet people that we haven’t seen in a long time, and really just be a part of the industry.” #tradeshow #outdoorindustry #outdoors https://lnkd.in/gY-fzkGG

45

5 Comments

Everybody needs a place to put their love. - Karina Dresses tagline, circa 2012 In 2012 I made my first investment in a #femalefounder who also happened to be 50+. At the time I had no idea how unusual these founder traits were. I just knew the founder was passionate, authentic, experienced, perfectly aligned with both the product and the market. Most importantly there was a strong emotional bond between the product and the customers who bought it. 🤷🏾‍♂️- it just seemed like the smart thing to do. Not a lot of my investor buddies agreed at the time- probably not so surprising. Fast forward 10+ years and the value of my investment is ~20x & the amount of free cash flow distributed to equity holders is substantial & still increasing YOY. My takeaways: ✅Invest in authenticity, passion and intimacy (customer)- no matter what the founder profile looks like relative to others. ✅Follow your gut. ✅Not every deal is venture scale worthy. But there’s a potential investor for every deal. ✅Be the best version of you, not a lame version of someone else. Works for both investors & founders. :) Congratulations to Karina and the team at Karina Dresses! Proud as punch to be on this journey with you all🚀

10

5 Comments

Starting soon: Panel on What's in my VC Crystal Ball, "Powering Smart Factories" track at #Tiecon2024! Peek into the future of manufacturing and supply chains! Join VC experts as they unveil trends shaping the industry.  Expect insights on automation, sustainability, AI, and more.  Learn how to leverage these trends to future-proof your business. Unveil the future of manufacturing and supply chains! Join our VC investment gurus as they share insights on the hottest trends transforming the industry. From automation and AI to next-gen sustainability, discover what's on the horizon and how to leverage it. This interactive panel discussion will equip you with the knowledge to future-proof your business and capitalize on groundbreaking innovations. ➡ What's in my VC Crystal Ball ✅Anshu Agarwal, General Partner, Converge VC ✅Rohini Chakravarthy, Managing Partner, NewBuild Venture Capital ✅Gayathri Radhakrishnan, Partner Hitachi Ventures ✅Abhijit Supekar, Global Supply Chain Manager, Lucid Motors Sign up now and future-proof your business! Register: https://tiecon.org/ 🗓️ Date: Friday, May 3rd, 2024 ⏰ Time: 10:30 pm - 12:30 pm PST Track Organizing Team: Anshu Bahadur, Hrishikesh Sathawane, Nilesh Dixit TiEcon Leadership: Anita Manwani, Surbhi Kaul, Sandeep Bhat, Anand Akela, Anand Jagannathan, Ajay Manglani, Deepak Gupta, Mini Suri, Sandeep Singh, Tushar Kant, Vish Mishra, Andy Tsao, R. Paul Singh, Rajiv Patel, Ajay Patwardhan, Preethy Padmanabhan, Venktesh Shukla, Preetha Ram, Kanwal Rekhi, Nat Rajesh Natarajan, Kirthiga Reddy, Vasudha Badri-Paul, Mateen Syed, Dipty Desai, Vrushali M., VANI SURESH, Patricia Acosta, and many more #TiEcon2024 #TiE #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation #Technology #Creativity #LeanStartups #Opportunities #Growth #Manufacturing_SupplyChain #manufacturing #engineering #fabrication #industrial #production #automation #supplychain #logistics #transportation #shipping #supplychainmanagement #transport #logisticsmanagement #warehousing #procurement #supplychainsolutions #delivery #ecommerce

18

3 Comments

Whether it’s a free market (like retail energy in Texas and EVs) or highly regulated (like carbon), sometimes the best solution is simplifying things for people. Enable people to easily save money, change habits, or make environmentally friendly choices, and adoption will follow. Complicate the process, and we slow everything down. #electricvehicles #energytransition https://lnkd.in/gsusmi2H

11

🌟Innovative VC Firm Overcomes Exits Drought with Secondary Sales🌟 ⛵Navigating a challenging landscape where exits are scarce, Santa Barbara Venture Partners (SBVP) has pioneered a novel approach to sustain its growth and attract investors for its second fund: secondary sales. Instead of waiting for traditional exits like IPOs or acquisitions, SBVP opted to sell shares of its portfolio companies, demonstrating its ability to generate returns for investors and stand out in a competitive market. 🎤According to Dan Engel, founder and managing partner of SBVP, these secondary transactions have been a game-changer, sparking investor interest and bolstering the firm's credibility. By leveraging its recent successes, including a lucrative stake in sports-betting company DraftKings Inc.' acquisition of digital lottery app Jackpocket, SBVP seized the opportunity to return profits to its limited partners (LPs) and pave the way for its second fund. 💡Engel highlighted the challenges faced by young VC firms in raising subsequent funds, particularly amid a downturn in exit activity and heightened investor scrutiny. With traditional exit routes becoming increasingly elusive, the pressure is on for firms to demonstrate tangible returns and establish a track record of success. ✨"For us, secondary sales have been a game-changer. They've helped us return profits to our LPs and attract investors for our second fund," said Dan Engel. 💰For SBVP, the decision to pursue secondary sales was driven by the need to provide liquidity to LPs and validate its investment thesis in the eyes of prospective investors. By strategically offloading portions of its holdings in high-performing portfolio companies like Bark Technologies and Rad AI, SBVP not only generated substantial returns but also bolstered investor confidence in its ability to deliver results. ⚠Despite the complexities and potential stigma associated with early share sales, Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing investor returns and seizing opportunities to unlock value for stakeholders. With a focus on profitability and transparency, SBVP remains committed to its mission of delivering sustainable growth and maximizing returns for its LPs. 🔍 "Returning profits to our investors is our top priority. By strategically selling shares, we're proving our commitment to delivering results and driving value for our stakeholders," added Engel. As SBVP continues to explore secondary transactions and expand its investor base, the firm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience in the face of market challenges. 🚀 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VCInnovation #SecondarySalesSuccess #InvestorReturns #ValueCreation 

2

Excellent and very practical guide from Aileen Allen. This will help a ton of founders. #marketing #startups

4

Partnering with startups can help companies to "solve a product problem, create a new avenue for revenue, accelerate R&D, or accelerate time to market for a specific product," according to Otilia Barbuta, principal at HP Tech Ventures, the venture capital arm of HP. She was talking at a breakout session at Circularity 2024. "There are solutions in the market created by startups and in this circularity realm, I think it's more important than ever to partner with [them]." #climatetech #startups #climateVC

5

CS teams NEED to start "managing up" with execs and the board by talking about REVENUE. Yes, you can keep talking about sentiment and feelings, but start with the $. Don't lead with churn- Bottom-line-focused execs don't like that headline, so you need to tell the story better. An informal poll had CS teams owning over 50% of the revenue of many SaaS companies. Lead with this and have it be your first talking point. From there you will be able to get more things done with other departments, as your requests will be revenue-focused Need to get a Customer Success Platform as you scale? Point to revenue and the potential to lose revenue without efficiencies Need to hire more to prevent burnout? Point to Revenue potential with renewals and upsells Talk in the language your execs and board want to hear.

44

13 Comments

In case you missed her at the Denver Sales Enablement Summit, Seismic VP of Enablement Irina Soriano outlines the Enablement Value Chain (EVC) in a new article for Sales Enablement Collective. What is the EVC exactly? According to Irina, it's a "proven framework to align your analytics, partnerships, and enablement team operating model in a unified approach that demonstrably improves seller behavior and business outcomes." Learn more at the link:

4

Bill McKibben's latest post on the impact of climate change on economies resonates with me. We have seen major climate disasters in recent years, and it's clear that they are not just impacting local economies but also global ones. It's concerning that big businesses continue to resist change, despite the long-term economic benefits of sustainable practices. Why do some businesses choose to churn through resources when it's ultimately bad for their bottom line and branding? Sustainable solutions are the way forward, and the data shows that they ultimately provide better returns. By using resources sustainably, we can ensure the longevity of our brands and economies. It's time for businesses to shift their thinking and embrace climate change solutions. Short-sightedness and small-minded thinking will only lead to further danger for all of us. Let's work together towards a sustainable future. #climatechange #solar #batterystorage #DER #climatechangesolutions #decarbonization

6

Want to build a sales team that consistently exceeds its targets? 🎯 In the latest podcast episode of Building Elite Sales Teams, I had the privilege of interviewing Adam Aarons, a seasoned sales leader who has led companies like Okta from startup to IPO. 🚀 Adam shared his two pillars for building a high-performing sales team: Operations and Enablement. 🏗️ Adam dives deep into how these two pillars work together to create an execution engine that drives extraordinary results. 📈 Want to learn more about how to build a sales process that's repeatable and scalable? Listen to the full interview and discover Adam's insights on: 🎯 Getting early warning signals when your sales plan isn't working 🚨 🎯 The difference between a champion and a coach in a deal 🏆 🎯 How to hire the right sales talent 🤝 #SalesLeadership #OperationsAndEnablement #BuildingEliteSalesTeams

11

3 Comments

Ibotta, Inc., a platform that helps CPG brands deliver promotions to millions of consumers went public today, and you probably didn't hear about it. My guess as to why? It hasn't raised money from any big-name VC firms with big marketing teams. Ibotta was started 12 years ago after Bryan Leach saw someone take a photo of a receipt for an expense report and realized there were tons of interesting data contained in that picture that was going to waste. Fast forward 13 years and Ibotta is a profitable, fast-growing business helping over 2,400 of the most notable brands like Kraft Heinz, General Mills, and Unilever. They touch over 91% of US households... Ibotta offers shoppers cash-back on in-store purchases funded by its advertisers, while also collecting all sorts of valuable data like cart makeup and much much more. They've paid out over $1.8B to consumers over the course of the company Quick 2023 Numbers: Revenue: $320M (+52%) Gross Margin: 86% (best in class despite not being traditional "SaaS") Net Income Margin: 12% (a quick turn around from a $50m loss in 2022) Adjusted EBIDTA Margin: 26% In 2022, they inked a MASSIVE partnership with Walmart that made up for a huge amount of 2023 growth via 3rd Party revenue. As a part of that deal, Walmart also owns a significant amount of the company There are some fun case studies in the S1 showing off some hot up-and-coming brands as well including poppi and Chomps. When you dig deeper, one of the more concerning parts of the business is the revenue concentration inside of Walmart, but with their significant ownership %, it's unlikely they go anywhere. Seed investors paid $0.74.share and it's going public at $88/share so that's a pretty good day at the office. Excited to see how this trades!

68

13 Comments

Did you know that 68% of small businesses report having cash flow problems, and many small businesses rely on the owner's personal funds to stay afloat? Relay exists to solve this and the best part is it's actually working! Which makes this announcement even sweeter: We raised a USD $32.2 million Series B round. What does this mean? - More spend management tools to improve financial visibility - More products to give small business owners flexibility - More integrations to streamline operations - And ultimately more businesses making better and smarter financial decisions Exciting times ahead! PS We're hiring: https://lnkd.in/gMT2mN25

33

1 Comment

It’s one thing to go to events in DTC and e-comm, it’s another to fully take advantage of them. Here are my two main takeaways from the conversations I had at Shoptalk in Vegas: 1) Meeting/chatting in person is key to deepening relationships. I had the opportunity to meet customers, partners, and even Prive team members for the first time in person while at the event. Chatting in person helped us bond and understand each other better, which holds a lot of value. It was also cool to see that even in a very competitive market, people are still genuinely kind and friendly. It might seem from the outside that competitors should dislike each other, but I saw first-hand at ShopTalk that we’re all in this together and can still be kind to one another in the process. 2. Strong partnerships are something more brands are looking for. When talking with brand founders, the one big thing a lot of them mentioned was the desire for a strong partnership with every company they work with. Many people shared that they were left unsupported with tools/tech after buying them — this underscored the value of our approach at Prive. We prioritize a partnership mentality, offering whatever help our customers need post-onboarding. For a lot of brands and industry leaders, the emphasis is on the quality of partnership, not just the product features. Overall, ShopTalk was a blast and it was great getting to chat with every single one of you. If you were there — do you feel a similar way?

19

Climate tech startups raised $8.1 billion in the first quarter, near record amounts of money that suggest 2023’s quiet close might have been more of a blip than the sign of a protracted downturn. A deeper look into the $8.1 billion raised in the first quarter shows that investors focused their attention on materials, including green steel and battery materials and minerals. #climatetech #climateVC #climate

13

1 Comment