Kapor Capital’s Post

The lack of diversity in VC has been studied for years, but progress remains slow. Harvard Business School recently hosted VentureESG and industry experts to unpack DEI roadblocks. Our takeaways: 📊 Sobering Stats: In the US, ~20% of general partners at VC firms are women and ~4% are black. 40% of VC investors come from just two schools - Harvard and Stanford. 💼 Systemic challenges: The lack of diversity in VC mirrors broader inequities in corporate America. Only 9.4% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies were women in 2022. 🔑 Actions > Words: Panelists shared ongoing DEI efforts - Glasswing Ventures commitment to local organizations like Hack.Diversity and Wellington Management’s HBCU recruitment strategy. Revisiting norms, like unpaid internships, is also critical to remove barriers to entry and disrupt the status quo. 🚀 Innovation imperative: Diverse teams bring stronger innovation, broader perspectives, and sharper insights - all requirements for high growth ventures solving large challenges.  Systemic shifts like climate change require complex solutions created by teams positioned to serve the needs of our diverse society.  DEI efforts are a business imperative, not philanthropy. Thank you to Kate Murtagh, Carol Meyers, Javier G., Johannes Lenhard, and HBS Race, Gender & Equity Initiative for the conversation.

As we continue celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth, meet Samer Yousif, who recently was named to Venture Forward’s list of Black investors making a big impact in VC. ❓ What do you do at Insight? (Samer) I’m a Senior Associate at Insight Partners, where I co-lead the 20/20 Vision Capital Fund, Insight’s fund of funds strategy investing into underrepresented, emerging managers. We are currently investing from 20/20 Vision Capital Fund II, a $118M vehicle. I oversee several aspects of the 20/20 Vision Capital Fund, including sourcing, diligence, and portfolio management. I work closely with our Sourcing and DGS team members to identify and back the best-emerging managers in venture capital. 🧠 What is one thing you wish you had known when you began your career? (Samer) I took a pretty circuitous route to my current role. After receiving my Masters in Global Policy Studies, I thought that my career would largely focus on politics and policy-making, primarily because I wasn’t aware of other opportunities that married my focus on entrepreneurship and racial equity. I’d push my younger self to focus more on the impact that I wanted to have, rather than a specific role, and then identify opportunities that would let me reach that goal. I also wish I’d understood how non-linear careers are and that I didn’t have to have a long-term career strategy to be successful. I just needed to focus on making the right next step in my career and eventually, I’d end up where I wanted to be.  🤝 Talk about a significant mentorship moment in your life (Samer) I’ve been blessed with incredible mentors and sponsors throughout my career. I absolutely wouldn’t be here without them taking me under their wing and supporting me throughout my career. A mentor of mine, who has become a close friend, was one of the first to vouch for me, adding me to projects and initiatives that would help me learn and network early on in my career. They spoke highly of me to their peers, which gave me legitimacy and credibility, likely before I fully deserved it. And they believed in me, encouraging me to stretch and grow further than I thought I could. That support was and continues to be invaluable to me in my career, and I hope to have a similar impact on those coming after me as well.

✏️ Today was the LAST day of Equity Summer School…and we sho nuff had a TIME. Here are some quotes from our work… ✏️ On Resistors: “This entire section resonated with me. I can think of past and present situations when I thought the best, but never prepare for the worst.” ✏️ On Change: “There can never be too much emphasis on how an effective executive sponsor increases chances of success.” ✏️ On Supervision: “We can learn a TON from the movie, Horrible Bosses…It’s fiction yet exaggerated reality.” Welp — summer is a wrap, but join us for Fall Equity School - September 15th from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST (with breaks!) ✏️ The Equity Summer School is open for professionals in all industries — especially for those who have the lived experiences of being a historically excluded person. You just need the language, theory, and strategy to support the work. Please complete this form in its entirety. Questions? Contact us at info@goldenterprisesllc.com. https://lnkd.in/euFuBVuv #school #power #strategy #change

This week on #MillennialInvestingRewind, Clay Finck chats with Daniel Rasmussen about his experience being intern at Bridgewater Associates, how to build a balanced portfolio, and much more! IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: • How interning at Bridgewater Associates impacted Dan as an investor. • The four types of economic environments that ultimately drive asset class returns. • Which asset class performs very well during an inflationary period? • Why small-cap value stocks are potentially a great way to diversify your portfolio. • Dan’s thoughts on diversifying into international stocks, emerging markets and other asset classes. • Why Dan prefers to avoid investing in China. • And much, much more!

If you're an innovation leader, you may ask yourself: ❓ How to leverage corporate strategy to drive innovation efforts ❓ How to construct a portfolio of innovation efforts that drives both new growth and growth for existing business lines ❓ How to get buy-in for new innovations Join Innov8rs Summer School to learn from Gabriel Woo and Ben Yoskovitz how RBC Ventures evolved from a separate entity focused on building new ventures at RBC to a more strategically integrated innovation arm that capitalized on existing knowledge and expertise to drive growth for both new ventures and the enterprise. More info https://lnkd.in/eP-4nXzm #innovationmanagement #venturebuilding #innovationleader #corporateinnovation

How to get noticed by a VC firm as an aspiring VC: 1/ Engage w their social media 2/ Share deals w them that fit their thesis 3/ Speak w interns that have worked there 4/ Send them news relevant to their focus 5/ Share your thoughts on a new investment they made Make yourself known folks!

Applications for Kauffman Fellows Now Open! Applications for Class 29 are now officially open. The final application deadline is January 12, 2024. For 28 years, Kauffman Fellows has accelerated the growth of the leading minds in venture capital, supporting Fellows through every aspect of innovation investing, from deal flow to navigating the public markets. We’re on a mission to invest in a global community of diverse leaders who operate with diligence, self-awareness, and purpose. As a tight-knit, lifelong community, Kauffman Fellows focuses on career acceleration and longevity. Well beyond the two-year program, we support Fellows via ongoing education, connections, and access to capital that keeps them in the industry for an average of 15 years (3X times longer than the industry average). The KF Program and Network not only opens doors to co-investment deals, trusted diligence, hiring top talent, and partnership opportunities but offers a close-knit community of peers to tap into — senior-level investors with vast and varying areas of expertise. #venturecapital #kauffmanfellows #technology https://lnkd.in/e7MxHtKA

🚀 Advice for Aspiring Professionals: Fueling Your Path to Success 🚀 At Northstar's Private Equity Fast Pitch, we cherish the wisdom shared with young professionals. Today, we're privileged to highlight insights from Tom O'Rourke at BayPine, shedding light on three crucial pillars of career growth. 1️⃣ Passion Matters: Find work you're passionate about; it fuels motivation and growth. 2️⃣ Embrace Growth: Cultivate a growth mindset, as challenges lead to rewards. 3️⃣ Feedback is Valuable: See feedback as a gift for continuous improvement. Tom's insights apply beyond Private Equity, guiding young professionals and students on their career journeys. 🌟 Listen to Tom's full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gA_qe8D6 #PrivateEquity #InvestmentBanking #CareerTips #GrowthMindset #FeedbackMatters Harvard University

I am happy to share my learning achievement. I completed a wonderful course from Università Bocconi about Private Equity and Venture Capital. My journey with Venture Capital dates back to my first internship where I joined an Incubation Center (PDEU IIC). This was somewhat love at first sight as I quickly fell in love with the concept of Venture Capital and Private Equity. What boosted my interest was one of the best shows in the history of television Sharktank. However, I missed taking this course during my Master's due to personal reasons. I knew that this was not the end of my curiosity and my passion and commitment to my dream prompted me to develop a deeper understanding of this investment philosophy. During my course, I learned many nuances of private equity and different concepts like Seed Funding, Business Life cycle, Taxonomy, Investing life cycle, valuation techniques, Vehicles of Investment, and Different Markets where PE plays a huge role. My next step would be to look for an entry-level analyst role in any of the Investment Banking firms or Different Private Investment firms operating in the VC industry and apply this concept to learn and grow within this Industry. #VCF #SearchFund #JPMORGAN #GOLDMANSACHS #MORGANSTANLEY #BLACKSTONE #KKR #STARTUPFINANCING #PRIVATEQUITY #INVESTMENT #ANALYST