In this episode, we are joined by Sapna Shah ’98, founder of Red Giraffe Advisors, which makes pre-seed and seed investments in the future of retail. Sapna takes us through her career journey, transitioning from strategic roles at major retail brands to becoming an entrepreneur and, eventually, an early-stage investor. She offers valuable insights into current industry trends, market shifts, and the challenges facing the retail sector. Additionally, Sapna talks about her own investment criteria and provides practical advice for founders seeking angel investors.

Articles and links mentioned in this episode:

• How to Find Angel Investors - https://www.redgiraffeadvisors.com/how-to-find-angel-investors/
• More Resources (including lists of investors) - https://www.redgiraffeadvisors.com/
• Full Retail X Series podcast - https://www.retailxseries.com/podcast (also on Apple, Spotify, etc)

Visit the Lang Entrepreneurship Center to learn more about the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Business School.

In this episode, we’re joined by Molly Fowler (Founding GP) and Sydney Hertz '24 (Investment Partner) from Dorm Room Fund, a VC firm investing in student-led startups. We discuss Molly’s journey from campaign manager to founding GP, along with the genesis and strategic focus of the fund. We also dive into how they evaluate opportunities at the earliest stages, what student founders can do to stand out, and how aspiring investors should be spending their time to take their careers to the next level.

Please visit the Lang Entrepreneurship Center to learn more about the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Business School.

In this episode, we’re joined by Rob Hayes (CBS ‘95), a board partner at First Round Capital. Rob shares his journey from product manager to VC partner, including early investments in companies like Uber and Square. Rob shares insights into the evolution of seed-stage investing, current market dynamics for early-stage founders, and a framework for how to evaluate companies at this stage.

Please visit the Lang Entrepreneurship Center to learn more about the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Business School.