In this episode, Hall T. Martin conducts an interview with Venk Shukla of Monta Vista Capital. Monta Vista Capital is the only institutional investor that truly lives by the concept of putting the entrepreneur first. They focus on early stage B2B companies that possess strong industry transforming IP, as well as founding teams who are subject matter experts. Venk talks about how he got into early stage investing after his beginning as serial entrepreneur. Hall and Venk speak about his investment thesis and what criteria he looks for. Venk shares what areas Monta Vista focuses on his take on competitive advantage.

In this episode, Hall T. Martin conducts an interview with Vic Pascucci of Lightbank. Lightbank is a seed and series A venture capital firm known for its entrepreneurial DNA, proprietary investment opportunities and track record of outsized returns. Lightbank is sector agnostic and entrepreneur driven but I focus on fintech, insurtech, reg tech and enterprise technologies applicable to financial services. Jake talks a little about he got into early stage funding. Hall and Jake talk about what Lightbank looks for when investing. They also discuss what sectors excite Vic the most (fintech)  and where he expects to see the biggest industry changes.

In this episode, Hall T. Martin conducts an interview with Erika Hersh of PeopleFund. PeopleFund provides small business loans as well as business assistance and education to people with otherwise limited access to such resources. Since being founded in east Austin in 1994 as Austin Community Development Corporation, PeopleFund’s financial and educational assistance has helped create thousands of jobs and empowered an even greater number of Texans on a path to financial stability and independence. PeopleFund is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) serving all of Texas. Hall and Erika talk about her start in the banking world and her background. They also speak a little about what type of business PeopleFund works with and their criteria. Erika also shares some success stories that she has worked with.

In this episode, Hall T. Martin conducts an interview with Jake Ryan of Tradecraft Capital. Hall and Jake discuss how Jake made his break into early stage funding. They also speak about Jake’s foray into crypto assets and what they look for when investing. He also talks about how he assesses value when looking at crypto assets. Jake speaks about how he handles the different variables of tokenomics and his opinion on a well aligned token.  

In this episode, Hall T. Martin conducts an interview with Brad Zapp of Connetic Ventures. Hall and Brad talk about how Brad got into venture capital. They also discuss what Connetic Ventures looks for an invests in when funding deals. In their talk, you’ll also learn about angel groups in Brad’s area and how they tend to invest as well as what sectors they are in. They also touch on venture capital moving into the midwest and what Brad feels the challenges and opportunities are.    

In this episode, Hall T. Martin conducts an interview with Gleb Davidyuk, managing partner of iTech Capital. Hall and Gleb speak about about Gleb’s entrance into venture capital. Gleb has almost 20 years of private equity experience in both Western and Eastern European private equity funds. Prior to founding iTech Capital Gleb spend 5 years (2005-2010) as a Partner with Mint Capital, midsized Scandinavian private equity fund actively investing in the Eastern European market. In this episode, you’ll learn about iTech and what they for and what they invest in. They also discuss blockchain and ICO level deals and what their criteria is as well as their investment thesis around blockchain. Gleb also shares his thoughts on moving non blockchain to blockchain and if it is a viable path for companies.     

In this episode, Hall T. Martin conducts an interview with  David Arcara, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Laconia Capital Group. David has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and general manager of young high-growth and turnaround media and marketing businesses, both digital and traditional. David has raised, either as lead entrepreneur or as part of the founding team, nearly $100 million dollars of angel and venture funding. Hall and David speak about Davids entry into venture capital and his background. They also speak about Laconia and the type of funds they deal with, including key metrics. David also speaks about challenges in working with family offices as they move into the venture space.  

In this episode, Hall interviews William "Bill" Davis, Managing Director of Technology and Investments with LDJ Capital. William is an advisor to funds and individual investors in New York City, and has held positions of Senior Advisor, CIO, COO and President of emerging technology firms globally. He draws some of his expertise from an extensive background with large firms and established technologies, practices, policies and procedures. William created a Strategic Plan for Banking at American Express which contributed modestly to a quick emergence from the credit crisis with $3b in earnings while competitors took loses during the period. He is also at the forefront of leadership in the emerging industries of Mobile Micropayments and Virtual Currency/Loyalty.

In this episode, Hall interviews Rob Schultz, Managing Partner with Serra Ventures and Serra Capital. Rob is a seasoned business executive with over 25 years of experience as a consultant, entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Previously, Rob was a Managing Director at Illinois Ventures, and is a founding member of the Illinois Emerging Technology Funds. At Illinois Ventures, Rob helped start and fund companies that commercialized technology invented at the University of Illinois, and he was the founding investor of ShareThis, the largest sharing network in the world. As an entrepreneur, Rob was the founder and CEO of DigitalWork, Inc., a SaaS based marketing automation company, and founder of Nequity, as a subsidiary of Signet Bank that was acquired in 1997.

In this episode, Hall interviews Praveen Varshney of Varshney Capital, a venture capital, merchant banking, and corporate advisory services firm with a specialization in public venture capital. Praveen has been a driving force in the Vancouver business world. He is a long-time member and past President of the Vancouver chapter of The Entrepreneurs’ Organization and a founding director of the Vancouver chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE). Mr. Varshney was a 12-year member of the Sauder School of Business Faculty Advisory Board, a former Director of The Vancouver Board of Trade, and a past recipient of Business in Vancouver’s 40 Under 40 Awards. He is also a director of the Varshney Family Charitable Foundation, a SVP Vancouver Partner, a Director of OneProsper.org, and a Founding Member of instrumentbeyondborders.org.

In this episode, Hall interviews Henry Yoshida of Rocket Dollar. Henry is Founder and CEO of Rocket Dollar, which helps people invest retirement income in start-ups, real estate, peer-to-peer, and more. A successful entrepreneur and certified financial planner, Henry was the founder of the venture capital backed robo-advisor retirement plan platform Honest Dollar (acquired by Goldman Sachs), and MY Group LLC (acquired by CAPTRUST), a $2.5 billion assets under management investment firm. He was a Merrill Lynch Vice President, and proudly serves as a Central Texas Angel Network Partner, Techstars + Capital Factory mentor, and NextGen Venture Partner.