Laura has spent her career looking at entrepreneurship from almost every angle. Before launching Ascendo, she founded Endeavor Miami, the first U.S. affiliate of the global entrepreneurship organization, where the portfolio grew to 23 companies generating more than $250 million in revenue. Earlier in her career, Laura held leadership positions at Visa and developed deep experience across fintech, payments, M&A, and private equity. Today, she brings all of those perspectives together as an investor. In this conversation, Anna and Laura explore what makes an exceptional founder, why overlooked markets can create extraordinary investment opportunities, where venture capital may be looking in the wrong places, and how AI is changing the investment landscape. They also talk about Laura’s own evolution from corporate executive to ecosystem builder to venture capitalist and what years of working across countries, industries, and boardrooms have taught her about leadership, reinvention, and success. Because sometimes the greatest opportunities aren't where everyone is already looking. They're where very few people have thought to look yet. 👠 Key Moments What connects the many chapters of Laura’s career as an executive, founder, operator, investor, and board memberWhat Laura saw in Miami’s entrepreneurial ecosystem before the city became a major startup and technology hubThe qualities she looks for when deciding whether a founder is truly exceptionalWhat investors can learn about a founder that will never appear in a pitch deckWhy Laura sees inclusive innovation as an investment advantage, not simply a social objectiveHow overlooked founders, consumers, and markets can create asymmetric investment opportunitiesWhy investment capital still hasn't caught up with the enormous economic influence of womenHow Laura evaluates AI companies in a market where almost every startup has an AI storyWhere she believes AI opportunities may still be underestimatedWhat venture capital may be overfunding—and overlookingWhy Laura’s experience as an operator changes the way she works with foundersWhat working at Visa taught her about building companies that can truly scaleLessons about leadership from working across the U.S., Mexico, Latin America, global corporations, startups, and venture capitalHow to recognize when it's time to leave a successful chapter and reinvent yourselfThis episode is ultimately about seeing possibility before it becomes obvious. Great founders don't all look the same. Great ideas don't come from one demographic, one geography, or one network. And some of the most compelling investment opportunities may exist precisely because everyone else is looking somewhere else. Laura’s own career is also a reminder that reinvention doesn't mean leaving your experience behind. Every chapter can become part of the toolkit you bring into the next one. 🎧 Listen now for a conversation about venture capital, AI, entrepreneurship, Miami, women and wealth, leadership, reinvention—and what it really takes to recognize an opportunity before the rest of the world does. Adding a chic twist to each episode, the 'I Want Her Shoes Podcast' is recorded in Anna’s stunning personal closet, strategically located near the vibrant Miami Design District. This unique setting not only provides a visually captivating backdrop but also embodies the spirit of fashion and innovation that the area is known for. 📺 Watch the episodes on YouTube to get a glimpse of this one-of-a-kind Miami closet—it’s definitely worth the view! https://www.youtube.com/@IWantHerShoesPodcast Follow us for more updates: IWHS Pod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iwanthershoespodcast/IWHS Pod Website: https://iwanthershoes.com/ Laura’s LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-i-mayd%C3%B3n-22018a/ Ascendo VC: https://ascendo.vc/ EPISODE CREDITS: Writer and Host: Anna Anisin Produced, edited, and mixed by the Formulatedby Team Follow us on IG Watch on Youtube
