Runway Series (Venture Capital, Startups, Crypto, web3), in partnership with Olive Capital‪.‬ UPCOMINGVC®‎, hosted by Raph Grieco, in partnership with OLIVE CAPITAL

Diversity and Inclusion. With


Moderator: Catherine Treyz (Head of Communications & Platform, Cherry Ventures)
Panel: Alice Default (Co-Founder & CEO, Double), Edouard Gouin (Co-Founder & CEO, Convelio), Olivier Mougenot (Partner, Citizen Capital) and Camille Kriebitzsch (Co-Founder & Partner, Eutopia)



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This episode is an excerpt of the full talk (12th out of 13 talks in total) that was held during our second ⁠«Runway Series Summit: The Fundamentals of Success»⁠. Head to ⁠summit.runwayseries.co⁠ to get the full episode and detailed shownotes. Enjoy the show!

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Over 3 days on June 1-3, 2021, during break lunches (11.30 - 1.45) and at the end of the day (5.30 - 7) and in 4 time zones, we received 39 guests (28 VC & 11 CEOs) including 31 who had already come on the Runway Series podcast. With ⁠«Runway Series Summit: The Fundamentals of Success»⁠, the idea is to take a step back from the usual discussions on execution, in order to understand what are the fundamentals of success, with 13 panels covering the DNA of entrepreneurship, the dynamics of co-founding teams, branding, focus, change, remote, data, creativity, diversity and inclusion. And unique fact, these 13 talks are hosted by the 39 guests who themselves are the moderators of these talks, which mechanically increases the quality of the talks. Top speakers from French startups / scaleups (Double, Labellevie, Supermood, Medadom, Convelio..) and French VCs (Frst, Elaia, Ventech, Cap Horn, Ring, Kima, Eutopia, Axeleo and many others) participates but also European VC partners, such as Evgenia from Dawn, Sia from Seedcamp, Jon from e.ventures, Louis from Point Nine, Mathias from Speedinvest.., as well as investors such as Marguerite from Cherry, David from Brighteye or Vincent Head of MarComm's at Northzone which also shows the attractiveness of the French scene for discussing structuring and fundamental subjects.

- - -

The podcasts Runway Series Originals, AMA VC, Human Factor, No-Code VC / Fit, Venture Talks & Solo-GP Series are produced by UPCOMINGVC® (⁠www.upcoming.vc⁠), created and hosted by Raphael Grieco, and in partnership with Olive Capital (olivecapital.vc).

I am really excited about this episode which is a deep dive into the topic of Zero Knowledge, through the lens of one of its main actor, the Mina Protocol and its ecosystem, supported by the Mina Foundation.


This episode is an excerpt of the full-length episode you can discover in our premium newsletter called Venture Notes (https://venturenotes.co). If you want to become a premium member and enjoy the full experience, grab until April 25, 2023 a special offer : 50% off, €45/year instead of €90/year, link to redeem https://upcomingvc.substack.com/100423

In this conversation, I have the chance to welcome, Kurt Hemecker, who is the Chief Operating Officer at the MINA Foundation. Kurt Hemecker brings over two decades of global business experience, including roles at the Facebook-backed Diem stablecoin project, and PayPal, to his new role as Chief Operating Officer at Mina Foundation.

With their holistic zero knowledge product suite including zkApps, zkBridges, and zkOracles, Mina is positioned to become the powerhouse for privacy and security in Web3. Mina has continuously shown signs of massive potential with one of the most efficient ZK proving technologies out there, world-class teams, and unparalleled success at building a global community.

Mina is the world’s lightest blockchain, powered by participants. Rather than apply brute computing force, Mina uses advanced cryptography and recursive zk-SNARKs to design an entire blockchain that is about 22kb, the size of a couple of tweets.

It is the first layer-1 to enable efficient implementation and easy programmability of zero knowledge smart contracts (zkApps). With its unique privacy features and ability to connect to any website, Mina is building a private gateway between the real world and crypto—and the secure, democratic future.

In this episode we talk about:
- what brought Kurt to crypto
- the privacy in the digital age and the ethics of technology
- decentralization, trust and power distribution
- how MINA is different from other ZK players
- we also go into the technical details of how to build on the MINA Protocol
- use cases spanning DeFi, Gaming, AI, logistics and supply chain but also healthcare
- the strategies to build and incentivize the MINA community

Plus so much more. Let’s get into the episode right now.

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MINA Foundation, MINA Protocol: https://minaprotocol.com/about

zkIgnite: https://minaprotocol.com/zkignite-cohort1-signup

0(1) Labs: https://o1labs.org

MINA Protocol on twitter: https://twitter.com/MinaProtocol

MINA Foundation on twitter: https://twitter.com/MinaFoundation

Kurt Hemecker on twitter: https://twitter.com/khem

Diem Project: https://www.diem.com/en-us/

Novi, digital wallet, shutting down: https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/2/23192501/meta-shutting-down-digital-wallet-novi-diem-cryptocurrency

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The podcasts Runway Series Originals, AMA VC, Human Factor, No-Code VC / Fit, Venture Talks & Solo-GP Series are produced by UPCOMINGVC® (⁠⁠⁠www.upcoming.vc⁠⁠⁠), created and hosted by Raphael Grieco (⁠https://olivecapital.vc⁠ / ⁠https://mint.rapha.elgrie.co⁠ / ⁠https://www.raphael-grieco.com⁠ / ⁠https://rapha.elgrie.co⁠)

In this episode, we meet a “legacy” Middle-Eastern private bank that has a large wealth management entity in Switzerland that launched in 2019 digital asset services for its Ultra-High-Net-Worth Clients a.k.a UHNW, including custody, trading, staking, cryptoart collecting and very soon DeFi.

What is really unique is that Arab Bank Switzerland in 2019 was NOT expected at all to raise its profile up to the crypto game. But as expected by such an accountable wealth manager, its services are being developed really carefully with best-of-breed partners such as Taurus (for custody) or The NFT Factory (for crypto-art collecting)(disclaimer: I am one of the 128 Co-Founders of the NFT Factory) and other prime partners.

In this episode I have the chance to host Rani Jabban, Member of the Executive Committee, in charge of Capital Markets, Digital Asset Services, Financial Institutions and Marketing at Arab Bank, whom I’ve known since 2019 when they launched their crypto-asset services.

In this conversation, we dive intro Arab Bank’s mission when it comes to crypto assets, how to bank addresses risks and regulations in the space, and finally how the bank and its clients support digital and crypto artists. We talk about DeFi, education, digital and crypto art collecting plus so much more.

Become a premium member to get the full episode (50% off for 12 months, €45/y vs €90/y normally).

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Rani Jabban: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/rani-jabban-2594b25

NFT Factory Paris: https://nftfactoryparis.com

Arab Bank Switzerland: https://www.arabbank.ch

Art by Arab Bank: https://artbyarabbank.ch

Prix d'art NFT par Arab Bank: https://artbyarabbank.ch/prix-dart-nft/candidature-artiste

Non Fungible Conference: https://www.nonfungibleconference.com

Taurus: https://www.taurushq.com

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The podcasts Runway Series Originals, AMA VC, Human Factor, No-Code VC / Fit, Venture Talks & Solo-GP Series are produced by UPCOMINGVC® (⁠⁠www.upcoming.vc⁠⁠), created and hosted by Raphael Grieco (https://olivecapital.vc / https://mint.rapha.elgrie.co / https://www.raphael-grieco.com / https://rapha.elgrie.co)

The current context in the tech and startup landscape is a market correction, valuations being challenged, and most startups executing a RIF (reduction in force, meaning downsizing teams) and focusing on their runway. However, top talents remain scarce and expensive. Being part of engaged, supportive communities of peers is paramount. VCs need to strike the right balance between their portcos’ versatile needs, VCs’ own resources, and how that aligns with their branding.

This is where Platform comes in.

In the view of experienced Heads of Platform in prominent VC firms in the US, Europe, and Israel, a person assuming the role of Head of Platform at a VC fund should have a mix of skills set of entrepreneurship, execution, and business development. They need to see a holistic picture, connect the dots in places others would not notice, be a connector and a salesman.

The Head of Platform needs to be agile, connected, and purposeful. They should have a mission-oriented, open mindset, and a zest for variety. They should be outgoing, communicative, and able to cope with different types of stakeholders they work with. To strike an alignment at scale between portcos needs, available resources at the VC, and the VC brand, the Head of Platform should start by identifying their unfair advantage that can drive the most value.

For a newly appointed DOP/HOP, the first 90/100 days could include identifying the platform's core strengths and weaknesses, understanding the portfolio companies' needs, and building relationships with key stakeholders.

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to talk to 4 Heads of Platform to get their prime insights.


Catherine Treyz, Head of Comms & Platform, Cherry Ventures (Germany)
Ashley Cravens, Head of Operations & Platform, Uncork Capital (SF, US)
Simon Lohmann, Head of VC Platform & IR, Cavalry (Germany)
Lior Goldenberg, Head of Platform, Collider (Israel)

Read this fatastic discussion in our premium newsletter called Venture Notes. Good news, head to bit.ly/venturenotes to get 50% OFF forever on your annual plan (€45 per year instead of €90).

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The podcasts Runway Series Originals, AMA VC, Human Factor, No-Code VC / Fit, Venture Talks & Solo-GP Series are produced by UPCOMINGVC® (⁠www.upcoming.vc⁠), created and hosted by Raphael Grieco.

Fintech and embedded finance. With


Moderator: Valentine Baudouin-Barbelivien (ex-Partner, Founders Future)
Panel: Sia Houchangnia (Partner, Seedcamp), Augustin Sayer (ex-Partner, Newfund, now Founding Partner, Ovni.vc), Bartosz Jakubowski (Partner, Alven) and Pascal Levy-Garboua (Venture Partner, Long Journey Ventures)



- - -

This episode is an excerpt of the full talk (11 in 13 talks in total) that was held during our second «Runway Series Summit: The Fundamentals of Success». Head to summit.runwayseries.co to get the full episode and detailed shownotes. Enjoy the show!

- - -

Over 3 days on June 1-3, 2021, during break lunches (11.30 - 1.45) and at the end of the day (5.30 - 7) and in 4 time zones, we received 39 guests (28 VC & 11 CEOs) including 31 who had already come on the Runway Series podcast. With «Runway Series Summit: The Fundamentals of Success», the idea is to take a step back from the usual discussions on execution, in order to understand what are the fundamentals of success, with 13 panels covering the DNA of entrepreneurship, the dynamics of co-founding teams, branding, focus, change, remote, data, creativity, diversity and inclusion. And unique fact, these 13 talks are hosted by the 39 guests who themselves are the moderators of these talks, which mechanically increases the quality of the talks. Top speakers from French startups / scaleups (Double, Labellevie, Supermood, Medadom, Convelio..) and French VCs (Frst, Elaia, Ventech, Cap Horn, Ring, Kima, Eutopia, Axeleo and many others) participates but also European VC partners, such as Evgenia from Dawn, Sia from Seedcamp, Jon from e.ventures, Louis from Point Nine, Mathias from Speedinvest.., as well as investors such as Marguerite from Cherry, David from Brighteye or Vincent Head of MarComm's at Northzone which also shows the attractiveness of the French scene for discussing structuring and fundamental subjects.

- - -

The podcasts Runway Series Originals, AMA VC, Human Factor, No-Code VC / Fit, Venture Talks & Solo-GP Series are produced by UPCOMINGVC® (www.upcoming.vc), created and hosted by Raphael Grieco.

Startup in hyper growth: a new psychology? With


Moderator: Bruno Raillard (Founding Partner, Frst)
Panel: Kevin Bourgeois (Co-Founder & President, Supermood), Jean de La Rochebrochard (Managing Partner, Kima Ventures), Jonathan Userovici, (Partner, Headline)

- - -

This episode is an excerpt of the full talk (10 in 13 talks in total) that was held during our second «Runway Series Summit: The Fundamentals of Success». Head to summit.runwayseries.co to get the full episode and detailed shownotes. Enjoy the show!

- - -

Over 3 days on June 1-3, 2021, during break lunches (11.30 - 1.45) and at the end of the day (5.30 - 7) and in 4 time zones, we received 39 guests (28 VC & 11 CEOs) including 31 who had already come on the Runway Series podcast. With «Runway Series Summit: The Fundamentals of Success», the idea is to take a step back from the usual discussions on execution, in order to understand what are the fundamentals of success, with 13 panels covering the DNA of entrepreneurship, the dynamics of co-founding teams, branding, focus, change, remote, data, creativity, diversity and inclusion. And unique fact, these 13 talks are hosted by the 39 guests who themselves are the moderators of these talks, which mechanically increases the quality of the talks. Top speakers from French startups / scaleups (Double, Labellevie, Supermood, Medadom, Convelio..) and French VCs (Frst, Elaia, Ventech, Cap Horn, Ring, Kima, Eutopia, Axeleo and many others) participates but also European VC partners, such as Evgenia from Dawn, Sia from Seedcamp, Jon from e.ventures, Louis from Point Nine, Mathias from Speedinvest.., as well as investors such as Marguerite from Cherry, David from Brighteye or Vincent Head of MarComm's at Northzone which also shows the attractiveness of the French scene for discussing structuring and fundamental subjects.

- - -

The podcasts Runway Series Originals, AMA VC, Human Factor, No-Code VC / Fit, Venture Talks & Solo-GP Series are produced by UPCOMINGVC® (www.upcoming.vc), created and hosted by Raphael Grieco.