Mission Driven

Better Ventures
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  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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A conversation about how startups leverage their mission as a competitive advantage. Each episode we talk to entrepreneurs and investors to get to the bottom of what it means to build a business with impact. From personal founder stories of how they got started, to how they overcame challenges in hiring, sales and fundraising and how building a mission-driven company helps you outperform the market. Hosted by Better Ventures in Oakland, CA. Backing mission-driven founders building a better world. Visit us at www.better.vc Music credit: https://bit.ly/1wwpl

  1. Mission Driven - Episode 19 - Ulili Onovakpuri (Kapor Capital)

    11/09/2023

    Mission Driven - Episode 19 - Ulili Onovakpuri (Kapor Capital)

    We’re honored to have Uriridiakoghene “Ulili” Onovakpuri, Managing Partner at Kapor Capital, join us on Mission Driven. At Kapor, Ulili leads investments in the health tech and people operations tech companies. She is also the founder of Kapor Capital’s Fellows program, the longest running venture capital internship program for underrepresented individuals. Previously, she served as Director of Global Programs at Village Capital, a global accelerator program and venture capital firm. Ulili received her MBA with a concentration in Health Sector Management from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is a native San Franciscan and a proud UC Berkeley Alum. In the episode, Ulili digs in to investing with an impact lens, including how to combat the perception that impact investing doesn’t lead to enough deal flow or returns. She also shares about a few of the investments she led (though all her companies are her favorites) and growing up in the Bay Area. Finally, Ulili discusses tips for founders raising venture capital, including how to make the right choice in investor partnerships. Mission Driven is a conversation about startup founders on a mission to address the world’s biggest challenges and how they leverage their social mission for competitive advantage. If you liked this episode, please share and tag us on Twitter: @BetterVentures @unolil @kaporcapital

    48 min
  2. Mission Driven - Episode 18 - Miriam Rivera (Ulu Ventures)

    08/31/2023

    Mission Driven - Episode 18 - Miriam Rivera (Ulu Ventures)

    Miriam Rivera holds a number of titles at Ulu Ventures including co-founder, managing director, and champion of the underdog and longshot. She is a distinguished investor known for her dynamic contributions in the tech, legal, and philanthropic sectors. At Ulu, Miriam upholds her mission of supporting transformative startups where her investment approach actively champions underrepresented founders. In this episode of Mission Driven, Miriam discusses how she went from the second hire on the Google legal team to scaling the team over a hundred, Ulu’s portfolio construction philosophy, and how to use process to eliminate bias. Importantly, she shares some gems for founders on how they should think of their fundraising process.

    48 min
  3. Mission Driven - Episode 17 - Amy Francetic - Buoyant Ventures

    07/27/2023

    Mission Driven - Episode 17 - Amy Francetic - Buoyant Ventures

    Amy Francetic, Managing General Partner & co-founder of Buoyant Ventures, joins Rick on Mission Driven in the last of our series about electrification. Amy’s career spans 25 years of high tech entrepreneurship, private equity, and research. Before founding Buoyant, a firm based in Chicago investing in digital climate solutions for energy, transportation, agriculture, water, and the built environment, she co-founded and served as CEO of Evergreen Climate Innovations, a tech accelerator. In this episode, Amy discusses her path to co-founding Buoyant, a 100% female owned VC, investing in electrification, and some of the most exciting companies in the portfolio (drones, demand response management, space, and more!).

    55 min
  4. Mission Driven - Episode 16 - Astrid Atkinson (Camus Energy)

    04/13/2023

    Mission Driven - Episode 16 - Astrid Atkinson (Camus Energy)

    Astrid Atkinson joins Rick on the latest episode of Mission Driven to chat about electrification. Astrid is co-founder & CEO of Camus Energy, which provides software-based Grid Management as a Service, combining real-time situational awareness, device control, and market integration for grid operators and energy providers. Prior to founding Camus, she was a Senior Director of Software Engineering at Google, where she was an early leader in distributed systems reliability. She speaks globally as an expert on large scale distributed systems architecture, reliability engineering, and organizational leadership. Listen to the episode to learn about how Astrid harnessed the needs and opportunities of the grid to create Camus’ marketplace component, how decarbonization is a team sport, and why capybaras figure in to her and the company’s mission. Plus, hear her advice to women in the tech and energy industries.

    37 min
  5. Mission Driven - Episode 15 - Rohan Puri (Stable Auto)

    03/30/2023

    Mission Driven - Episode 15 - Rohan Puri (Stable Auto)

    We’re joined by Rohan Puri, CEO & co-founder of Stable Auto. Rohan helps us understand software’s role in electrification, chatting about the EV charging landscape. Rohan and his company Stable Auto believe that climate is humanity’s gnarliest problem and that every charger has to be part of the solution. With data-driven insights, Stable Auto helps organizations envision and builds tomorrow’s vital infrastructure. In the episode, Rohan and Rick cover Rohan’s journey from Techstars to Stable Auto, the first electric car (invented much earlier than you might have thought!), and staying true to the dual missions of sustainability and making money.

    50 min
  6. Mission Driven - Episode 14 - Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor (Kapor Capital)

    03/16/2023

    Mission Driven - Episode 14 - Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor (Kapor Capital)

    We have special guests on the podcast - Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor. The founders of Kapor Capital have released a new book, Closing the Equity Gap, and, on this episode, they discuss their life missions to make the tech industry more diverse and inclusive. Tune in to learn how the two got their start, founded Kapor Capital, and have been pioneers in impact investing. They impart important lessons on the power of “distance traveled” founders who harness their early experiences to found companies that better serve society. You’ll hear stories about the two youngest partners of Kapor Capital, Ulili Onovakpuri and Brian Dixon, plus some of their exciting investments. The Kapors challenge the notion that investing with a diversity and equity lens doesn’t create returns. We’re here for it!

    1h 6m
  7. Mission Driven - Episode 13 - Robyn Beavers (Blueprint Power)

    03/02/2023

    Mission Driven - Episode 13 - Robyn Beavers (Blueprint Power)

    Welcome to Season 2 of Mission Driven! We’re switching things up a bit and diving into a sprint on the theme of electrification. The next few episodes will cover various POVs and a deep dive on the following question: what is the role of software in electrification? Our first guest on electrification is Robyn Beavers, CEO & co-founder of Blueprint Power. Robyn started her career as an energy efficiency consultant and then moved on to become the founding member of Google’s Green Business & Operations strategy team. In this role, she delivered several green strategic programs including the country's largest corporate solar installation at the time, energy efficiency retrofits for Google's global offices, and the creation of a large scale renewable energy investment program. From there, she went on to co-founder Blueprint Power, which was acquired by BP in in 2021. Rick and Robyn chat about how to incorporate lessons from nature in our built environment and what the future of clean energy should look like. --------------------------------------------------- Mission Driven is a conversation about startup founders on a mission to address the world’s biggest challenges and how they leverage their social mission for competitive advantage. If you liked this episode, please share, follow/subscribe and tag us on Twitter! @BetterVentures @robynbeavers @BlueprintPower

    48 min
  8. Mission Driven - Episode 12 - Michael Lombardo (BookNook)

    08/01/2022

    Mission Driven - Episode 12 - Michael Lombardo (BookNook)

    Michael Lombardo, founder & CEO of BookNook, joins Rick on the latest episode of Mission Driven. BookNook is an online collaborative learning platform that provides reading and math support through lessons, gamification, and assessments. They also provide online tutoring services, connecting district students to vetted tutors. The company is on a mission to ensure equitable access to rigorous and engaging instruction through technology innovation. In the episode, Michael discusses the impact of COVID and distance learning on the growth of the company and the pros and cons of being a non-profit vs. for profit in the education and edtech industry. He also discusses the company's commitment to DEIB, including the importance of caring for employees who join mission driven companies. Finally, Michael shares what’s in store for the edtech and education industry and trends he sees emerging.

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A conversation about how startups leverage their mission as a competitive advantage. Each episode we talk to entrepreneurs and investors to get to the bottom of what it means to build a business with impact. From personal founder stories of how they got started, to how they overcame challenges in hiring, sales and fundraising and how building a mission-driven company helps you outperform the market. Hosted by Better Ventures in Oakland, CA. Backing mission-driven founders building a better world. Visit us at www.better.vc Music credit: https://bit.ly/1wwpl

Information

  • Creator
    Better Ventures
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2023
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Better Ventures
  • Show Website
    Mission Driven