Kauffman Fellows, the world’s premier venture education program with the largest and most connected network of VC investors, is thrilled to announce the second season of the Kauffman Fellows Podcast, which will provide a rare glimpse into the personal narratives of some of the world’s most esteemed innovation leaders.
Launching next Wednesday, September 15, and produced in partnership with Mighty Capital, we catch up with guests including a16z’s Julie Yoo and Chris Lyons, Bessemer’s Adam Fisher, GGV’s Jenny Lee, Floodgates’ Mike Maples, Hustle Fund’s Elizabeth Yin, The Engine’s Katie Rae, and Homebrew’s Satya Patel, among others.
Season two calls on Fellows as guest hosts who will deliver ten dynamic mini-series covering various themes of VC investing — ranging from “Women in Deep Tech” to “Veterans Turned VCs.” We’ll dissect growing venture ecosystems in places like the Midwest to Emerging Markets and discuss verticals ranging from “Climate Tech” to the “Age of Product.”
One common denominator throughout: an intentional focus on empathy, intellectual curiosity, and self-awareness. Each Kauffman host challenges their guests to hang up the superhero cape for just a moment and get real about the sacrifices, failures, and inflection points that each individual goes through to become the best version of themselves, in order to best serve the entrepreneurs they invest in.
“Often when we think of achievements or success in venture capital, we focus on the next big funding round, or the AUM or returns of the firm — but focusing only on this narrative would be like focusing only on a life’s journey told in highlight reels,” says Jeff Harbach, President and CEO of Kauffman Fellows.“Both the highs and the lows make up a person’s journey. What we want to do with this podcast is help listeners understand success within the context of an individual’s formative experiences.”
When the Kauffman Fellows team started exploring concepts for season two, we leaned into the founding principles upon which Kauffman Fellows was built.
“Bringing investors from different walks of life together, the Kauffman Program goes well beyond teaching the technical skills required to become a VC,” says Harbach. “We not only provide a source of industry knowledge, deal-flow, and syndication, but we also train Fellows how to identify and leverage their strengths, mitigate and address their blind spots, and reimagine their impact on the world.”
Featured Fellows & Partnership with Mighty Capital
Shoutout to our co-conspirators this season, which includes an all-star cast of Kauffman Fellows as co-hosts (all from Class 25): Code Cubitt (Mistral Venture Partners), Maddie Callander (Boost VC), Maggie Kenefake (Royal Street Ventures), Mo Almeshekah (Outliers VC), Pinn Lawjindakul (Lightspeed Ventures), Renana Ashkenazi (Grove Ventures), Rokas Peciulaitis (Contrarian Ventures), SC Moatti (Mighty Capital), and Wayne Moore (Basecamp Fund). We can’t wait for you to see what they have in store!
We also collaborated with Mighty Capital Managing Partner SC Moatti who not only hosted one of the mini-series but also served as a production partner, which she undertook as her Kauffman Thought Leadership Project (TLP).
“As a Kauffman Fellow, I am honored to co-produce this season of the Kauffman Fellows Podcast as part of my TLP,” says Moatti.“Mighty Capital invests in the best products, and I believe this show is one of them. From first-time fund managers to series A founders, and LPs from the far corners of the world, the podcast brings a wide array of voices and experiences to the forefront of venture capital, all from a place of authenticity and vulnerability. Together, we’ll unravel what truly makes a great VC investor.”
Stay Tuned Next Week
Kauffman Fellows Podcast is heading to a streaming platform near you in less than one week! Jeff Harbach will kick off the season premiere with his series that draws upon themes presented in the Kauffman Fellows Four Pillars —a distillation of the traits, characteristics, and behaviors that we’ve learned from the best investors. In each episode, Jeff speaks with Kauffman Fellows who personally exemplify these pillars on a daily basis.
Moving forward, episodes will drop every Wednesday on a weekly basis and will be accessible on streaming platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Google, and Anchor.fm.
Excited yet!? Grab your phone and ask Siri to remind you to listen to the season premiere next Wednesday, September 15th PLUS keep an eye out for weekly podcast updates in the Kauffman Fellows Journal as well as our Twitter and Linkedin handles.
ABOUT KAUFFMAN FELLOWS
Now in operation for 26 years, Kauffman Fellows has grown to 765 Fellows spanning 6 continents, representing 670 VC firms across 57 countries. Each year, we add a new cohort of 60 accomplished Fellows who attend the two-year Fellowship part-time while they are investing full-time.
INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THE NEXT COHORT?
Complete this form, and get notified when applications for Class 27 open this Fall 2021.
