The Common Denominator

Andrew Hawkins, former NFL wide receiver turned entrepreneur, knows how to play offense in manifesting his future. Underestimated was the name of the game throughout his playing career. College walk-on, undersized for the position, league aspirations with no agent at graduation––he received just about every sign possible to take a different path, but to Hawk, the no's have only been fueled to his drive of proving the naysayers wrong, both on and off the field.

“You have to learn how to lose, before you can learn how to win.” Even after knowing what it feels like to beat the odds, Kelvin Beachum intentionally seeks out scenarios where he can begin at ground zero. Whether it's in the NFL or in the world of startups and venture capital, Kelvin Beachum joins us to share how embracing adversity propels him to his next level.

Max Gomez is the Co-Founder and CEO of Breathwrk, a human performance company that leverages the same exercises used by Navy SEALS, psychologists, high-performance athletes, and yoga practitioners to empower people with breathing exercises. When Max first started designing the concept for what exists today, he was just coming out of a struggling ordeal with depression and anxiety after losing a relative, a relationship, and his job. In our conversation, Max shares how he evolved from what was one of the lowest points in his life, to learning a skill in breathwork, and turning his dream of helping hundreds of thousands of people across the world into a reality. Links Breathwrk Max Gomez on LinkedIn Keep up with the latest content and insights from the Will Ventures team here.

Work ethic and grit were the two values instilled in Brian Reilly at a young age from his parents, whose sacrifices changed the trajectory of his life. His experience as a first-generation college student and athlete spurred his journey into the startup world. Each step since, has brought a lesson that shapes the drive behind what he does today as Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Will Ventures. The initial idea for Will Ventures came around 2013, in our conversation Brian walks us through what it took to get from idea to launch in 2020, including: What he was testing, building, and researching over a 7 year span to crystalize the thesis for Fund I. Why “putting in the work” was the determining factor in how he and Isaiah evaluated the different paths to get to launch. What most people don't know about raising a first-time venture fund. How lessons from the challenges along the way have informed the mission for Will Ventures. Keep up with the latest content and insights from the Will Ventures team here.

“Let no one outwork you today.” The words Isaiah Kacyvenski wrote to himself the day after he didn't make the varsity football team have turned into a life mantra that he's carried through each step of his journey. From poverty to the NFL, athlete to entrepreneur, and researcher to Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Will Ventures, Isaiah's story in beating the odds is still being written. This conversation takes you along his unexpected journey to building Will Ventures. Along the way we discuss: How his upbringing in poverty fueled his drive to control his destiny in life. Lessons on optimizing human performance on and off the field from 8 years in the NFL. The steps he took to get to the launch of Will Ventures, including insight that first sent Isaiah down the path of entrepreneurship and research before co-founding the firm. How the power of human will became the inspiration behind the firm's name. Keep up with the latest content and insights from the Will Ventures team here.

The Common Denominator is a series of conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, and executives that are beating the odds in their unique way. At Will Ventures, we believe the power of human will is the x-factor that unites builders from all walks of life, and this series is dedicated to sharing the stories and lessons from people that embody it day in and day out. You can learn more about our firm, portfolio, and where we're investing at willventures.com.