7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison Zack Ellison

Welcome to another episode of The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison, which features full length interviews with the world’s leading investors in innovation.

Episode 10 of Season 2 features Liz Ward, VP of ZEBOX America, an international supply chain accelerator focused on connecting large corporations to innovative startups to solve the most pervasive problems impacting global supply chains.

Prior, Liz held several leadership positions at tech enabled freight brokerages such as Transfix and Convoy. Before venture, she was an executive and minority owner at Ward Transport & Logistics, a Top 25 LTL carrier in the U.S. and was a founding member of Price-Tran LLC, an asset-based trucking company revolutionizing the way freight is priced.

Liz launched her career at Booz Allen – where she consulted with domestic and foreign intelligence and law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle illicit supply chains, most notably the global heroin trade. She graduated with honors from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Supply Chain Management and is an active advisor and investor to startups.

In this episode, Zack Ellison and Liz Ward discuss:

1. How the ZEBOX Model Solves Vexing Supply Chain Challenges

2. Supply Chain Innovation Through Corporate Venture Capital

3. Choosing the Right Investment Partners: A Key to Success

4. The Future of Work in Supply Chain Management

5. Venture Debt: A Minimally Dilutive Financing Tool for Startups

6. AI’s Transformative Impact on Global Supply Chains

7. Driving Sustainability and Decarbonization in Supply Chains

Guest Information:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eaward/

- Website: https://mercuryfund.com/

Host Information:

- LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackellison/

- Website: ⁠ https://www.ze-box.io/hubs/america

Show Information:

- Website: ⁠https://7in7show.com/

- Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-in-7-show-with-zack-ellison/id1681652927 ⁠

- Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0f2NGukm1OcZYCgVbiwlZX

- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@7in7show

- Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/7in7show/

- TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@7in7show

- Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/7in7show

- Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/7in7show

DISCLAIMER: https://7in7show.com/disclaimer/

Welcome to another episode of The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison, which features full length interviews with the world’s leading investors in innovation.

Episode 9B of Season 2 features Samantha Lewis, a Partner at Mercury Fund. Her specific focus is on Mercury’s Power theme, where she seeks to fund startups utilizing blockchain, data platforms and fintech to rethink the way people access capital and opportunity, build wealth, spend money and organize as communities.

Samantha currently serves on the boards of Mercury portfolio companies Apparatus (infrastructure), Arden (infrastructure), Civitech (data platform), Brassica (fintech infrastructure) and Cooklist (data intelligence).

Samantha is an active Kauffman Fellow, the world’s premier venture capital fellowship. Prior to joining Mercury, Samantha was the Investment Director at Goose Capital, a Houston-based investment group of serial entrepreneurs and F500 CEOs, where she led deal sourcing, structuring and portfolio management.

During her time at Goose, she led investments in Syzygy Plasmonics, Rufus Labs, and Emerge. Samantha is a repeat entrepreneur with a background spanning agribusiness, logistics and supply chain, beauty, and deep tech.

Samantha received her MBA from Rice University and a B.A. in Political Science and History from Texas A&M University. Samantha remains deeply committed and involved in the efforts to build diverse, robust innovation ecosystems.

Outside of Mercury, Samantha actively mentors founders, teaches a Venture Capital class at Rice University, and supports Ukraine through fundraising and medical supply deliveries.

In this episode, Zack Ellison and Samantha Lewis discuss:

1. Venture capital's evolution: From pitch to sustainability.

2. Diversity in venture capital: Identifying untapped markets and founders.

3. Venture debt: Bridging startups to success.

4. AI's role in startups: Beyond hype to utility.

5. The importance of geography in finding venture opportunities.

6. How venture lenders catalyze startup growth and validation.

7. Enhancing investor returns with DPI (Distributions to Paid-In capital)



Guest Information:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthajolewis/

- Website: https://mercuryfund.com/



Host Information:

- LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackellison/

- Website: ⁠https://www.arivc.com/



Show Information:

- Website: ⁠https://7in7show.com/

- Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-in-7-show-with-zack-ellison/id1681652927 ⁠

- Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0f2NGukm1OcZYCgVbiwlZX

- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@7in7show

- Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/7in7show/

- TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@7in7show

- Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/7in7show

- Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/7in7show



DISCLAIMER: https://7in7show.com/disclaimer/

Welcome to another episode of The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison, which features full length interviews with the world’s leading investors in innovation.

Episode 9 of Season 2 features Samantha Lewis, a Partner at Mercury Fund. Her specific focus is on Mercury’s Power theme, where she seeks to fund startups utilizing blockchain, data platforms and fintech to rethink the way people access capital and opportunity, build wealth, spend money and organize as communities.

Samantha currently serves on the boards of Mercury portfolio companies Apparatus (infrastructure), Arden (infrastructure), Civitech (data platform), Brassica (fintech infrastructure) and Cooklist (data intelligence).

Samantha is an active Kauffman Fellow, the world’s premier venture capital fellowship. Prior to joining Mercury, Samantha was the Investment Director at Goose Capital, a Houston-based investment group of serial entrepreneurs and F500 CEOs, where she led deal sourcing, structuring and portfolio management.

During her time at Goose, she led investments in Syzygy Plasmonics, Rufus Labs, and Emerge. Samantha is a repeat entrepreneur with a background spanning agribusiness, logistics and supply chain, beauty, and deep tech.

Samantha received her MBA from Rice University and a B.A. in Political Science and History from Texas A&M University. Samantha remains deeply committed and involved in the efforts to build diverse, robust innovation ecosystems.

Outside of Mercury, Samantha actively mentors founders, teaches a Venture Capital class at Rice University, and supports Ukraine through fundraising and medical supply deliveries.

In this episode, Zack Ellison and Samantha Lewis discuss:

1. Venture capital's evolution: From pitch to sustainability.

2. Diversity in venture capital: Identifying untapped markets and founders.

3. Venture debt: Bridging startups to success.

4. AI's role in startups: Beyond hype to utility.

5. The importance of geography in finding venture opportunities.

6. How venture lenders catalyze startup growth and validation.

7. Enhancing investor returns with DPI (Distributions to Paid-In capital)



Guest Information:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthajolewis/

- Website: https://mercuryfund.com/



Host Information:

- LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackellison/

- Website: ⁠https://www.arivc.com/



Show Information:

- Website: ⁠https://7in7show.com/

- Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-in-7-show-with-zack-ellison/id1681652927 ⁠

- Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0f2NGukm1OcZYCgVbiwlZX

- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@7in7show

- Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/7in7show/

- TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@7in7show

- Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/7in7show

- Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/7in7show



DISCLAIMER: https://7in7show.com/disclaimer/

Welcome to another episode of The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison, which features full length interviews with the world’s leading investors in innovation.

Episode 8 of Season 2 features Dan Espinal, the Co-Founder and CEO of Rarebreed Veterinary Partners, a thriving community of veterinary hospitals whose goal is to deliver exceptional patient care, outstanding client service, and an amazing employee experience.

Rarebreed Veterinary Partners was founded in 2018 to reimagine the veterinary experience. With over 120 locations across the Northeast, Florida, and Virginia, Rarebreed is committed to universal training to sustain wellness, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.

Before co-founding Rarebreed, Dan headed IDEXX Laboratories’ in-house chemistry business and Corporate Development and Strategy team. There, he led and executed global acquisitions, managed the annual strategic planning process and structured complex partnerships to serve as the technology for new companion animal diagnostic pillars.

During his career, Dan also worked as a venture capital investor at Allied Minds plc, focusing on internet and communication technologies. And he was a management strategy consultant at JSA Partners (formerly AT Kearney), a mergers and acquisitions and strategy consultancy in Boston.

Dan is a combat veteran and Airborne Ranger-qualified infantry officer with service time as a combat advisor embedded with the Afghan National Civil Order Police.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan School of Business) and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations from Tufts University.

An active triathlete, he resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with his wife, three children, and his dog, Boomer.

In this episode, Zack Ellison and Dan Espinal discuss:

1. Why startup founders make better VCs.

2. Learning from entrepreneurial mistakes.

3. Decision-making under pressure.

4. The influence of sports and military service on leadership.

5. How venture debt helps startups through increased accountability.

6. Developing a resilient mindset to succeed as a founder.

7. AI's Impact on the Future of Work.

LEARN MORE:

- Zack Ellison: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackellison/

- The 7 in 7 Show: ⁠https://7in7show.com/

- A.R.I. Venture Debt: ⁠https://www.arivc.com/

DISCLAIMER:

- https://7in7show.com/disclaimer/

Welcome to another episode of The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison, which features full length interviews with the world’s leading investors in innovation.

Episode 8 of Season 2 features Dan Espinal, the Co-Founder and CEO of Rarebreed Veterinary Partners, a thriving community of veterinary hospitals whose goal is to deliver exceptional patient care, outstanding client service, and an amazing employee experience.

Rarebreed Veterinary Partners was founded in 2018 to reimagine the veterinary experience. With over 120 locations across the Northeast, Florida, and Virginia, Rarebreed is committed to universal training to sustain wellness, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.

Before co-founding Rarebreed, Dan headed IDEXX Laboratories’ in-house chemistry business and Corporate Development and Strategy team. There, he led and executed global acquisitions, managed the annual strategic planning process and structured complex partnerships to serve as the technology for new companion animal diagnostic pillars.

During his career, Dan also worked as a venture capital investor at Allied Minds plc, focusing on internet and communication technologies. And he was a management strategy consultant at JSA Partners (formerly AT Kearney), a mergers and acquisitions and strategy consultancy in Boston.

Dan is a combat veteran and Airborne Ranger-qualified infantry officer with service time as a combat advisor embedded with the Afghan National Civil Order Police.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan School of Business) and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations from Tufts University.

An active triathlete, he resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with his wife, three children, and his dog, Boomer.

In this episode, Zack Ellison and Dan Espinal discuss:

1. Why startup founders make better VCs.

2. Learning from entrepreneurial mistakes.

3. Decision-making under pressure.

4. The influence of sports and military service on leadership.

5. How venture debt helps startups through increased accountability.

6. Developing a resilient mindset to succeed as a founder.

7. AI's Impact on the Future of Work.

LEARN MORE:

- Zack Ellison: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackellison/

- The 7 in 7 Show: ⁠https://7in7show.com/

- A.R.I. Venture Debt: ⁠https://www.arivc.com/

DISCLAIMER:

- https://7in7show.com/disclaimer/

Welcome to another episode of The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison, which features full length interviews with the world’s leading investors in innovation.

The show this week features the second half of a great interview with Dan Zwirn, a legendary hedge fund manager and one of the best credit investors in the world.

Part one (Season 2, Episode 7A) can be found here: https://youtu.be/bV2rACVtvK8

Dan co-founded Arena Investors in 2015 to bring creative solutions to those seeking capital in special situations. With a mandate unconstrained by industry, product or geography, Arena currently manages approximately $3.5 billion as a global investment firm focusing on special situations asset and credit investments in corporates, real estate, structured finance, and corporate securities. And Dan and his team have become well known for their ability to develop pragmatic, very precisely-structured investment opportunities in complex situations where others can’t or won’t.

Before founding Arena, between 2009 and 2015, Dan founded and/or led several specialty finance enterprises including Applied Data Finance (a consumer finance company), North Mill Capital (an asset-based lender), North Mill Equipment (an equipment lessor), and Lantern Endowment Partners (an investment fund).

In 2001, while a managing director and founder of the Special Opportunities Group at Highbridge Capital Management, Dan, along with Highbridge, co-founded D.B. Zwirn & Co., a global special situations firm. Dan served as managing partner of D.B. Zwirn & Co., which grew into a $6 billion enterprise. He had previously founded the Special Opportunities Group of MSD Capital, the private investment firm of Michael Dell.

Dan is a senior trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Executive Board of the University of Pennsylvania Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, and a member of the Board of Overseers for the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. He previously served on the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Barnard College of Columbia University, and the Board of Trustees of the New York Public Theater.

Dan holds a BS in economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, a bachelor of applied science (BAS) in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania Moore School of Electrical Engineering, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

In this episode, Zack Ellison and Dan Zwirn discuss:

1. The evolving venture debt market and its potential for investors.
2. The importance of being selective and disciplined in venture lending.
3. How market cycles affect venture debt opportunities.
4. Growth credit as a blend of venture lending, distressed debt, and direct lending.
5. The changing dynamics of venture capital and its impact on venture lending.
6. Strategies for de-risking venture debt transactions with a focus on cash flow.
7. Recommendations for investors to consider over the next phase of the economic cycle.

Guest Information:

- Bio: https://www.arenaco.com/team/daniel-zwirn/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-zwirn/
- Website: https://www.arenaco.com/

Host Information:

- LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackellison/
- Website: ⁠https://www.arivc.com/

Show Information:

- Website: ⁠https://7in7show.com/
- Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-in-7-show-with-zack-ellison/id1681652927 ⁠
- Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0f2NGukm1OcZYCgVbiwlZX
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@7in7show

DISCLAIMER: https://7in7show.com/disclaimer/