54 min
Sonia Weymuller (VentureSouq) - How VentureSouq came to be, why she describes herself as an accidental outlier in everything, and what her own philosophy of impact investing is From MENA to the World
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- Entrepreneurship
In this episode, we're having a chat with Sonia Weymuller, Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a GCC-based Venture Capital firm. Launched in 2013, VSQ is active in the MENA region with a global portfolio of 200+ companies, as well as developing rich educational content around venture investing.
Sonia is the most conscious investor in the MENA region. Arriving into the world of VC from an unconventional path, I wanted to share with you her life story and adventures that brought her to Dubai and to backing entrepreneurs in the region.
We talked about:
Sonia's unconventional path to becoming an established VCHow VentureSouq started as an informal gathering of interested investorsSonia's philosophy on conscious investing and what you need to knowThe traits you need to be a founder worth investing inEnjoy!
Timestamps:
2:15 Sonia's childhood, and being an accidental outlier in everything7:57 Joining Microsoft, Viacom, and Sonia's experience with headhunters11:02 The number 1 skill Sonia learned with these companies11:44 What prompted Sonia to move to Dubai12:56 Getting confronted with mortality13:42 How VentureSouq started with a birthday party16:00 How a team of 4 different personalities made VentureSouq thrive19:24 How The Five Languages of Love helped Sonia become a better investor20:46 Conscious Collective: What it is and why it started23:34 What are some misconceptions around impact?26:05 The 1 trait that made Sonia a successful venture capitalist31:00 The attributes to a good founder that's worth investing in34:50 Sonia's relationship with imposter syndrome37:19 How Sonia thinks about fundraising: Alignment is key38:39 Sonia's general thoughts on the fundraising ecosystem41:38 What one thing would Sonia change about this region43:50 Sonia's Legacy and what she wants the next generation to strive towards46:16 The book that Sonia carries everywhere with her48:09 Stay motivated by being centeredLinks:
Sonia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/soniaweySonia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniaweymuller/About VentureSouq: https://www.venturesouq.com/VentureSouq's Twitter: https://twitter.com/venturesouqAbout the Host
COTU Ventures Website Amir's LinkedIn Amir's Twitter
In this episode, we're having a chat with Sonia Weymuller, Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a GCC-based Venture Capital firm. Launched in 2013, VSQ is active in the MENA region with a global portfolio of 200+ companies, as well as developing rich educational content around venture investing.
Sonia is the most conscious investor in the MENA region. Arriving into the world of VC from an unconventional path, I wanted to share with you her life story and adventures that brought her to Dubai and to backing entrepreneurs in the region.
We talked about:
Sonia's unconventional path to becoming an established VCHow VentureSouq started as an informal gathering of interested investorsSonia's philosophy on conscious investing and what you need to knowThe traits you need to be a founder worth investing inEnjoy!
Timestamps:
2:15 Sonia's childhood, and being an accidental outlier in everything7:57 Joining Microsoft, Viacom, and Sonia's experience with headhunters11:02 The number 1 skill Sonia learned with these companies11:44 What prompted Sonia to move to Dubai12:56 Getting confronted with mortality13:42 How VentureSouq started with a birthday party16:00 How a team of 4 different personalities made VentureSouq thrive19:24 How The Five Languages of Love helped Sonia become a better investor20:46 Conscious Collective: What it is and why it started23:34 What are some misconceptions around impact?26:05 The 1 trait that made Sonia a successful venture capitalist31:00 The attributes to a good founder that's worth investing in34:50 Sonia's relationship with imposter syndrome37:19 How Sonia thinks about fundraising: Alignment is key38:39 Sonia's general thoughts on the fundraising ecosystem41:38 What one thing would Sonia change about this region43:50 Sonia's Legacy and what she wants the next generation to strive towards46:16 The book that Sonia carries everywhere with her48:09 Stay motivated by being centeredLinks:
Sonia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/soniaweySonia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniaweymuller/About VentureSouq: https://www.venturesouq.com/VentureSouq's Twitter: https://twitter.com/venturesouqAbout the Host
COTU Ventures Website Amir's LinkedIn Amir's Twitter
54 min