Get ready for a rollercoaster of an episode! This week on DrinksWithAVC, Bree and Vik are joined by the multi-talented founder and GP of Oncology Ventures, Ben Freeberg. Ben shares his inspiring journey from active 24-year old pursuing a career in finance and dabbling in comedy in NYC, to an unexpected cancer diagnosis in Israel, overcoming adversity, mixing humor with resilience, and turning challenges into triumphs. Laugh, cry, and learn alongside us as Ben shows how to juggle Chinese Devil Sticks, pitch your healthcare startup like a pro, and gives his hot takes on everything from the intersection of AI & healthcare to the similarities between comedy and venture capital.

Links:
www.oncology.ventures
Ben's Substack
Chaos Isn't An Excuse TED Talk
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

From growing up as a quiet kid in New Jersey and biking across the US in support of affordable housing, to moving west to join Salesforce and eventually becoming a partner at Scale Venture Partners, Jeremy Kaufmann shares his compassion-filled adventure with Bree and Vik while sipping The Dude's drink of choice: A White Russian. If you are building or investing in AI, grab some of your favorite vodka, add cream and Kahula, shake with ice, and settle in for his perspective on where everything is headed. Be sure to stay for his hot takes on introverts, decision making, teamwork in venture capital, and of course, his answers to the Fidelity Five Questions.

www.scalevp.com
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

Join us for an exciting episode featuring Amy Cheetham, partner at Costanoa Ventures. From mucking stalls in rural Maine to making the Forbes 2023 Brink List, Amy’s journey is both inspiring and insightful. Bree & Vik dive into her favorite Italian dishes, the challenges of startup life, and her passion for mental health advocacy. Amy shares valuable advice on the importance of curiosity, her thoughts on the impact of AI in fintech and healthcare, and gives her unfiltered opinion on the significance of diversity on boards. Be sure to stay to the very end when Amy pours out some wine for the one startup that got away!

Links:
www.costanoa.vc
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc
www.crisistextline.org

Pour a mint julep and join us on DrinksWithAVC as we dive into the dynamic world of Leshika Samarasinghe, founder and GP at Twine Ventures. In this episode, Leshika recounts her beginnings at Google, where she was instrumental in developing core platforms like mobile search and Blogger. She also shares insights from her time at ARPA-E, where under President Obama’s administration, she worked on pioneering energy projects. Now at Twine Ventures, she's dedicated to investing in startups that leverage AI, data, and software to revolutionize healthcare, climate tech, and financial services.

Be sure to listen/watch until the very end as Leshika does not hold back in our Fidelity Five Questions segment, sharing answers that are as refreshing as her drink of choice!

Links:
www.twineventures.com
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

Pour your favorite champagne and join us in toasting Touring Capital's co-founder and GP, Priya Saiprasad! Learn how Priya's nomadic childhood created her superpower, how she took the leap from established firms like M12 and Softbank Vision to start her own fund, and how she weighs team dynamics when evaluating growth-stage startups. The former Forbes 30 under 30 venture capitalist gives us a fascinating look behind the scenes at what it's like to work for Jack Dorsey from her time at Square and doesn't hold back when answering our Fidelity Five Questions.

Links:
www.touringcapital.com
www.dwavc.com
www.fidelity.com
www.ravixgroup.com
www.greencow.vc

Settle in with a Sazerac for the latest installment of DrinksWithAVC, brought to you by Fidelity for Startups! Vik and Bree cover it all with St. Louis-based globe trotter, low-key adrenalin junkie, and venture capitalist Dan Conner. Dan relives harrowing moments on the slopes, talks about the books and quantamental approach that influenced his investment thesis, and shares his story from field engineer to building Ascend Venture Capital.

Links:
www.ascendstl.com
Dan's article on how startups can standout: Entrepreneur Magazine
How to make your own sazerac

Sponsors:
Fidelity for Startups Cap Table Management
Ravix Group Startup Accounting & Finance Services

Bree and Vik dive into a captivating conversation with Howie Diamond of Pure Ventures. From his early days in Chicago reminiscent of a John Hughes film to his rockstar nights drumming for Low v. Diamond on shows like Letterman and Leno, Howie's journey is anything but ordinary. Now, his focus on consumer packaged goods (CPG) investments and prioritizing founder mental health through his platform, Pilea, showcases a unique blend of life experiences shaping his approach to venture capital.

Links:
www.pureventuresvc.com
www.joinpilea.com
Low v. Diamond on Spotify!
Ravix Wind-Down Playbook

Discover the profound depths of venture capitalism in this week's DWAVC with guest Manan Mehta of Unshackled Ventures. Vik and Bree explore Manan's adoption of 'curious acceptance,' his admiration for ancient and modern stoicism, and his insights on the pivotal role of immigrants in revolutionizing the startup arena and the VC landscape.

Links:
www.unshackledvc.com
Ryan Holiday's books on Amazon, here and here.
www.creativity.org/ (Museum!)
www.trefethen.com (What we're drinking!)