A Conversation with Meera Oak, Partner at Alumni Ventures (AV) | Polymath Capital | Strategy and Ops for Yale University | MBA, Tuck

In this episode, Anvita and Rashveena look back on the 4+ years and 100+ episodes of the Women in Venture Capital podcast, sharing highlights, learnings and more. 

In this conversation with Lisa, we hear about her journey as a CEO in Residence at Primary VC and what she is most excited about the new trends in the startup ecosystem - the AI wave, climate-tech and east-coast startups scene in the US. We also talk about her role at General Assembly as their CEO, expanding reach and impact. 

Akriti is a Partner at Ridge Ventures, focusing on early-stage investments in enterprise technology companies. With a background in computer science and product management, she brings valuable insights to her role as an investor and board member. Akriti has led investments in various sectors, including AI, fintech, and SaaS, demonstrating her expertise in identifying promising startups. Her experience spans from founding a B2B accounting software company in India to working with tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon. As a Techstars Mentor and angel investor, Akriti continues to support and shape the future of technology entrepreneurship.In this conversation with Akriti, we dive deep into her decisions for career transitions across roles and geographies and what led her to those. Tune in for a fun chat! 

In this conversation with Meera, we chat about how she joined AV, drawing from her endowment experiences and the fund's innovative investment strategy (exclusively co-investors). We also hear Meera's take on recent trends in the VC industry, including how AI has unlocked new capabilities in vertical SaaS. Lastly, we discuss about the current state of the investing ecosystem when it comes to female representation in decision making roles and advice for aspiring women investors.

In this episode with Barbara, we talk to her about her diverse experiences in the investment ecosystem across Africa, USA, Dubai; and how that shaped her investment philosophies. We also talk about how she got to starting her own fund in the Web3 space and what excites her about the opportunities there.

In this conversation with Emily, we touched on the experiences that shaped her move to and career in venture capital, including the rapid transformation in areas like Fintech. Emily shares more about strategies that helped her manage transitions within VC and trends she's excited about at Primary including innovations in payments and capital markets. Finally, Emily touches on bridging the gender gap in venture and shares some advice for aspiring investors. 

In this episode, we talk to Katelyn and Vicki from UP.Labs about the venture lab model in the mobility space. We talk to the team about building startups alongside corporate partners and drawing on their past experiences as operators. Finally we touch on making the move to venture labs, especially in mobility, and some advice for women looking to break into the tech, transportation, and venture lab spaces - including an ask for referrals for female CEOs hoping to join the firm!

In this episode, with Zabreen, we chat about her career transitions from operator roles to investing, and her current stint with Phenomenal Ventures. We also speak about her non-profit, HerCapital, that aims to empower women to invest in their future. Lastly, we hear Zabreen's thoughts on working towards diversity and advice for women looking to break into the VC ecosystem.

In this episode, Julia walks us her through her decision to join investing early in her career, leaving to start a company before heading back to Pari Passu. Julia shares more about her decision to start a fund instead of joining one, the newly launched 'PariPassu' app and the firm's strategy. Finally, we end with some thoughts around gender dynamics in check writing roles and some advice for aspiring investors. 

In our conversation with Katelin, we get to know about her diverse experiences that shaped her working style of always being 'people-first'. We also hear about how this strategy has helped her transition into the world of venture capital, at 776 and what differentiates the fund. Lastly, Katelin shares what it takes to break into the VC ecosystem.