What's Going on in Venture, an Assure podcast

Transforming and Diversifying the Venture Capital Ecosystem Through Technology with Hana Yang of AllocateIn this week's episode Jeremy Neilson, Co-Founder and CEO of Assure,  speaks with Hana Yang about learning English, saving the world and bringing technology to the venture ecosystem. Hana is a co‑founder of Allocate, a digital platform making it easy for investors to access, evaluate, and manage investments into highly curated venture funds and co‑investment opportunities and industry low minimums.To learn more about Hana Yang and Allocate click here.

How a Seed Stage Investing Thesis Lead to Kickstarting an Entire EcosystemGavin Christensen with Kickstart FundJeremy Neilson, Co-Founder and CEO of Assure, recently spoke with Gavin Christensen, Founder of Kickstart Fund, about his revolutionary entrepreneurial journey and what it took to launch and grow Kickstart Fund becoming Utah and the Rocky Mountain Region's most active investor.To learn more about Gavin Christensen and Kickstart Fund click here.

Building a Community Based on a ThesisWill Price of Next Frontier CapitalIn this week's episode Jeremy Neilson, Co-Founder and CEO of Assure, recently spoke with Will Price, Founding and General Partner of Next Frontier Capital, about his journey in building a community based on a thesis.  Will discusses in depth how Community, Seed Stage Investing, Small Funds, SPVs, and Entrepreneurs can change everything for City, State, and a Region.To learn more about Will Price and Next Frontier Capital click here.

How to Build a Self-Generating Investor Network with Jed NgIn this week's episode Jeremy Neilson, Co-Founder and CEO of Assure, speaks with Jed Ng of AngelShcool VC where they discuss AngelSchool, the program that encompasses Jed's grand experiment of building a self-growing investor network and investing at scale through syndicate SPVs.To learn more about Jed Ng and AngelSchool VC click here.

Empowering Investors with the Shark Tank for Real Life: Ali Moiz and StonksIn this week's episode, Leslie Jump, Managing Director of Assure Analytics talks with guest Ali Moiz, Founder of Stonks.  They discuss Ali's journey from founder to investor, the importance of connecting with founders before you invest, and the role of SPVs in the process.To learn more about Ali Moiz and Stonks click here.

From Founder to Founder-Friendly Investor: Trey Bowles and Techstars, Ft. WorthIn this week's episode, Leslie Jump, of Assure Analytics, talks with Trey Bowles, Managing Director of Techstars, Ft. Worth about the exciting future of investment in the physical health industry and what he looks for when syndicating deals. They discuss his strategy, the intangibles that make a Founder fundable, and how adding value is key to investing.To learn more about Trey Bowles and Techstars, Ft. Worth click here.

Trailblazing between the Coasts with Kate Birdsley of Hannah GrayIn this week's episode, host Leslie Jump, Managing Director of Assure Analytics sits down with guest Kate Beardsley, Founding Partner of Hannah Grey.  They talk about Kate's journey as an investor, how she stays authentic to her “True North”, and how SPVs fit into her toolkit.To learn more about Kate Birdsley and Hannah Grey click here.

Decentralizing Silicon Valley: The Rise of the Outsider VCs and the Founders They Invest In In this week's episode, Jeremy Neilson talks with Nick Moran about his path to becoming a VC fund manager of a $42 M fund. Despite venture capital being called an apprenticeship business, Nick broke in without having worked at a VC firm or having a successful tech exit.  He now has an established brand and a strong community of deal flow and investors who believe in his vision, with a proven track record. To learn more about Nick Moran and New Stack Ventures click here.

The Rise of Solo GPs: From SPVs to a $30M FundIn this week's episode Marell Evans of Exceptional Capital, who took a non-traditional path to becoming a Solo GP of a $30M venture fund, talks about the moment he realized he was the bridge between great startups and people in his network that wanted to invest but didn't have access. He began leading his own deals with SPVs, developing operational know-how and building trust with investors through a track record.Marell talks about the importance of building a tribe as a Solo GP. He talks strategies for emerging managers, with allocations available if you have the right relationships and pitch (“Founders are picking individual partners over brand names”). With tooling that makes it feasible and the ability to get allocations as specialists with unique value props, solo GPs are establishing their place in the venture ecosystem.To learn more about Marell Evans and Exceptional Capital click here.

SPVs for Non-U.S. VCs: The Power of the Delaware LLC In this week's episode, Kirill Bobkov discusses the global venture capital landscape from his perspective as a European capital markets lawyer working with VCs and an important trend he is seeing with the way his clients are doing deals. A shift in demand by investors for deal-by-deal investments has led global deal organizers to the Delaware LLC, a U.S.-based SPV structure that is fast, cost-effective, and easy. The reduced friction and democratization of venture capital markets in the US, and the trends toward structuring innovation and more flexibility and access to investors, is a trend that is extending to Europe and beyond, and the same SPV vehicle is taking hold as a global standard for VC, reducing friction for investors and founders globally to move capital in a seamless VC ecosystem.To learn more about Kirill Bobkov and SPVs for Non-U.S. VCs click here.

Community VCs by Solo GPs with Lolita TaubIn this week's episode, Lolita Taub of Ganas Ventures sits down with Jeremy Neilson to discuss how creating value for your founders and outsizing returns for your LPs is not merely a matter of the number of staff at your firm.  She believes flipping the model, focusing instead on a connected community is what creates value and is done through the connections and engagement of all stakeholders.Lolita Taub is a leader of a new wave of venture capitalist. They are replacing large institutions with Solo GPs and distributed communities, bringing access to new perspectives, new markets for deals, and a differentiated value-add network for both founders and LPs.To learn more about Lolita Taub and Ganas Ventures click here.

Impact Investing with SPVs with Peter Bruce-ClarkIn this week's episode, Peter Bruce-Clark and Jeremy Neilson discuss recent innovation in structuring and how this creativity is changing the way VCs invest in deals. Peter talks about how the emergence of SPVs has enabled this creativity in venture, the demand for them from LPs and the benefits they provide, and what it means for the industry going forward. To learn more about Peter Bruce-Clark and Impact Investing with SPVs click here.

Industry Professional Angel Syndicates: Moving the Needle on Early Cap Tables In this week's episode, Amul Mago sits down with Jeremy Neilson to talk about investing in startups while working in Sales and BD at a big corporate tech firm. For Amul, VC is a huge untapped opportunity for many professionals like him that just don't think they have access or know how to get involved.To learn more about Amul Mago and Industry Professional Angel Syndicates click here.

The Rise of the Operator Investor with Romeen ShethIn this week's episode, Romeen Sheth sits down with Jeremy Neilson to talk about getting allocation into the best VC deals and the rise of operator investors, running companies and investment syndicates simultaneously.As traditional funds get bigger and bigger, a new breed of venture investor has emerged — one that is increasingly attractive to founders and LPs alike. Catalyzed by tooling that empowers individual operators (or small teams) to efficiently and cost-effectively run their own investments, entrepreneurs and other operators are now seizing the chance to lead their own investment syndicates while running their companies. There are many synergies on both sides, and these operators are nimble in bringing clear, differentiated value with their capital.They bring with their capital the coveted experience, relationships, and domain expertise that can move the needle in some area of importance for a founder.For these operators, they are now enabling increased exposure as startup investors without retiring as an operator. Instead of sacrificing their value as an operator, they are finding that their investment syndicates become an invaluable asset to their role as a company builder.To learn more about Romeen Sheth and the Rise of the Operator Investor, click here.

Venture Networks: New Structures Bridging the Gap to Undiscovered Founders and SectorsIn this week's episode, Vanessa Liu discusses access to networks for those struggling to break in as entrepreneurs or investors, which is an increasing problem. She discusses innovative venture models to reach the “gems”, both founders and verticals.Vanessa's career is a reflection of the evolution in funding startups. With innovative accelerator programs at both McKinsey and SAP, she validated effective models for building bridges between untapped potential and the networks needed for success. She's now tackling a new venture structure for an underrepresented vertical: A Venture Studio for the Aging Industry.To learn more about Vanessa Liu click here.

Venture Investing in Crypto with Lisa Carmen WangIn this week's episode, Jeremy Neilson sits down with Lisa Carmen Wang, where she breaks down venture investing in Crypto with an emphasis on Web3, blockchain, and crypto. While these new technologies represent fundamental shifts in the way our economy works, including investing, these are still startups raising money from traditional venture capital sources. From buying coins to getting equity via SPVs or funds, new hybrid models of the two, it's still all about access and getting allocation into the right deals. To learn more about Lisa Carmen Wang click here.

Building a Network in VC with Judy RobinettThis week's episode of What's Going on in Venture features Judy Robinett who shares invaluable insight on building a network in VC. As one of the world's foremost leaders in networking and relationship building, Judy talks about strategies for breaking into VC, whether for getting access to investment opportunities, raising money for your first deal, or launching a fund. More and more LPs want access to VC deal opportunities, from sovereign wealth funds, corporate VCs, and family offices, to young professionals.To learn more about Judy Robinett and Building a Network in VC click here.

Structuring Best Practice: Sidecar SPVs Alongside Your FundThis week's episode of What's Going on in Venture features Dan Engel, founder of Santa Barbara Venture Partners who sits down with Assure CEO Jeremy Neilson to discuss his use of sidecar SPVs alongside his venture fund and how his SPVs will more than double his AUM.  Dan further explained how using SPVs is a game-changer for emerging fund managers.To learn more about Dan Engel and Santa Barbara Venture Partners click here.

"Investing with the Pitch Deck Therapist: From Seeing Deals in Your Day Job to Running a Syndicate"In this week's episode of What's Going on in Venture, Ari Kohan, Founder of 50 Proof, discusses his day job helping startup companies tell their stories and leveraging that to launch his own investment syndicate. Ari's Pitchdeck therapy service has resulted in over $1.6 billion in raised capital and turned out to place him in the perfect position to source, evaluate and invest in quality startup companies.To learn more about Ari Kohan and 50 Proof click here.

VC Tech Startups: Building a Scalable, Sustainable Investment Firm David Teten of Versatile VCIn this week's episode, Jeremy Neilson sits down with David Teten to discuss all things technology and the next generation of VC. After years of experience with two venture firms, founding an angel group, and advising family offices and PE shops, David shares his vision for the future of venture capital. For more about David Teten and Versatile VC click here.

Investor Communities: Grow Your LP Base, Source Better Deals, and Create Real Value Add While Democratizing Private Investing Assure presents What's Going on in Venture with Justing Gordon Director of Marketing & Community at Vitalize Venture Capital.  Justin sits down with Jeremy Neilson to discuss the emerging trend in Venture of building an ecosystem of education, community, and angel syndicates around their VC fund.To learn more about Justin Gordon and Vitalize Venture Capital click here. 

“Who Gets to be a VC: Crypto, Women and Access to the Insiders' Wealth Creation” Nisa Amolis sits down with Jeremy Neilson to talk about offering access to the insiders' wealth creation and what happens when the underrepresented become investors. The innovation bringing the democratization of VC is empowering diverse fund managers redefining who gets to be a VC.To learn more about Nisa Amolis and A100x click here.

"The Future of Angel Investing"Marcia Dawood sits down with Jeremy Neilson to discuss the future of angel investing from the Chair of the Angel Capital Association. Marcia and Jeremy talk about how the business of investing has gone digital, what structuring innovations like angel funds and deal-by-deal SPVs mean for the ecosystem, and how lower minimums and greater access to deals are catalyzing the democratization of private investing. Learn more about where we're going and how you can position yourself to take advantage of the evolution of angel investing.To learn more about Marcia Dawood and the ACA click here.

“Building a Virtual (democratized) Silicon Valley” Ashley Martis of Startup Fuel says, "It takes a village to raise a startup." In the digital Silicon Valley, this village removes traditional barriers to entry and offers access to a global, decentralized, data-driven startup ecosystem for all. Ash shares his vision for StartupFuel and what the future of digital startup ecosystems means for both founders and investors.For more on Ashley Martis and Startup Fuel click here.

"Why Successful Entrepreneurs Should Launch an Investment Syndicate (The New Corporate VCs for Early-Stage Operators)"Alex and Jeremy discuss how and why you should feel good about your time angel investing as an operator, breaking down the synergies and value it brings to your startup. For the operator investor, it comes down to having the right strategy and discipline, and Alex gives us his playbook.To learn more about Alex Macdonald and Velocity Black click here. 

“Best Practice for VC Funding Structuring: Using SPVs with a Blind Pool”In this episode, Jeremy Neilson and Avidan Ross discuss some best practices for VC fund structuring.To learn more about Avidan Roos and Root Ventures click here.

“Breaking into VC: No Track record to a $10M Fund”Mac Conwell of RareBreed Ventures and Jeremy Neilson from Assure, discuss the playbook for breaking into venture. For aspiring fund managers who don't have an Ivy League background, a VC resume, and a network of LPs, Mac has proven you can build a brand and go out and raise money in non-traditional ways.To learn more about Mac Conwell and RareBreed Ventures click here. 

“Who Gets to be a VC”Jeremy and Sarah discuss access to venture capital and the democratization of private investing. Sarah breaks down breaking in for aspiring venture capitalists: getting your pro day, why it's easier to have a baby than become a teacher (until it's not), and using SPVs to do deals and build a track record. Sarah is a star in VC and provides an insightful education with an authentic, fresh perspective. To learn more about Sarah Kunst and Cleo Capital click here. 

"VC for Family Offices"Jeremy Neilson and Olga Yermolenko discuss how sophisticated LPs, specifically family offices, are increasingly interested in alternative assets, specifically VC, and becoming active investors by getting into their own deals.To learn more about Olga Yermolenko click here.

"Building a Women-Focused Investment Syndicate" On this episode Assure CEO, Jeremy Neilson sits down with the SPV Sisters, Annie Evans, and Sabrina Simenson to discuss what it looks like to build a women-focused investment syndicate.To learn more about the SPV Sister click here.

“Using Media to Build an Investor Brand and an LP Base” with Sahil Lavingia, Founder of GumroadSahil and Jeremy discuss how Sahil is using social media to grow and raise funds and the positive aspects he has implemented in that growth. For more about Sahil Lavingia click here.

“The Strategic Value of a Community-Based Investment Syndicate” with Kurt Schmidt of the Duke Angel Network Kurt Schmidt joins Assure's CEO Jeremy Neilson in a discussion on the value-add of alumni angel groups. A community syndicate offers many network effects to both founders and investors not found in typical investment structures. For more about Kurt Schmidt and Duke Angel Network click here.

Hem Suri, Spark Growth Ventures“The Democratized VC: Transparent Pools, Fractional GPS and Lower Investment Minimums”This episode covers thoughts surrounding how fractional GPs and transparent pools can drive the democratization of VCs, as well as ideas on appealing to global LPs by offering a more robust VC product. Click here for more with Hemi Suri.

“More than Money in Early Stage: Angels, Funds and Everything in Between”In this episode, Jeremy Neilson (Co-Founder/CEO, Assure) and David de Csepel discuss Pasadena Angels, what they've built, how they've launched an angel fund alongside syndication, Dave's thoughts on the future of angel investing, and breaking through geographic barriers, and how to build a collaborative early-stage investing network of co-syndication.Click here for more with Dave de Csepel.

“Launching a Fund as an Angel Group and Raising Funds on a Rolling Basis”This episode sees Jeremy Neilson and Ashok Kamal discuss the future of angel investing and best practices for syndicating early-stage private investments.Click here for more with Ashok Kamal.

“Democratizing Private Investing: The Role of Emerging Fund Managers in Venture”In this episode of The Assure Podcast, Samir Kaji and Assure CEO, Jeremy Neilson discuss the past, present, and future of venture capital, painting a picture of the current trends and the role of emerging fund managers in the democratization of private investing. For more with Samir Kaji click here.

“The Next Generation of Angel Investing” Richard Sudek joins in a discussion about the next generation of angel investing, sharing quality deals to help fill out funding rounds, and how to make syndication easier and faster without compromising. Richard is the Founder of Angel Network Syndication, a group of over 25 angel investing groups around the country who collaborate on sharing quality deals to help fill out funding rounds and to make syndication easier and faster without compromising on important steps.Click here for more with Richard Sudek.

Arlan Hamilton joins Assure's CEO Jeremy Neilson in a discussion about minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. 

Nick Zasowski, Director of Global Startup Studio Network sits down with Jeremy Neilson to discuss the rise of startup studios, why the model is an effective company builder, and studios as an asset class.

Jason Calacanis joins Assure's Jeremy Neilson in a discussion about building the world's largest investment syndicate, the state of early-stage venture, the role of syndicates vs. traditional VC, and more.

Join early-stage syndicate lead Paige Doherty and Assure's Jeremy Neilson as they discuss democratizing access to information and capital in the venture space for founders, technologists, creators, and aspiring investors. They talk about the rise of the Gen Z investor and the implications for the early-stage landscape.

This week in NextGen Venture, NFL player/ venture investor Marshall Newhouse and Michael Mann / Jim Okun of Anchor Capital sit down with Jeremy Neilson to discuss the RISE OF THE ATHLETE INVESTOR.

In this episode, Jeremy talks with Jim Dowd on the role of broker dealers in the private investment space, and Jim breaks down exemptions and structuring strategies in the modern regulatory environment. - Reg D vs. Reg CF - Crowdfunding - Reg CF vs. Reg A- How broker dealers provide services with these different types of raises?Jim is Founder and CEO of North Capital Private Securities (NCPS), a registered broker-dealer focused on origination, placement, and clearing of exempt securities; North Capital Investment Technology (NCIT), which provides technology for the exempt securities market; and North Capital Inc., a registered investment advisor.  North Capital Private Securities is the designated broker-dealer for many securities funding platforms in the early stage equity, real estate, private funds, and securities token markets.Jim has extensive experience as the “broker-dealer service and function when it comes to origination, placement, and clearing of exempt securities, specifically being the designated broker-dealer for funding platforms in the early stage equity space."

A capital-raising SPV is organized and investors are invited to participate in the opportunity because everyone thinks a distribution of principal and profit will happen in the future. Distributions are the reason, after all, for an SPV or a fund. In this episode, Jeremy and Keith discuss the nuances of converting an investment into cash or equity, and getting that cash or equity into hands of investors. The TYPE, such as IPO, M&A, rents, dividends, the FREQUENCY, like one time at exit, annually, monthly, and the FORM, like cash or equity shares, varies, depending on the asset that was invested in.

In this episode, Jeremy Neilson talks with Robb Kunz about fund structuring, specifically the considerations in using an SPV or a VC. Robb talks about his experience as an investor, with different strategies and insights he's gleaned along the way. He talks about the structuring implications with management fees, carry, liquidity, diversification, and more in this conversation with Jeremy.Robb is a serial angel investor and micro-VC fund manager. He's a General Partner of Venture Blue Capital, and he's made over 100 investments into early stage technology companies. He's also the founder of Boom Startup, a leading mentorship seed accelerator.

In this episode of Structuring and Admin, Jeremy Neilson dives in to fund taxes with Kathy Marsh, VP of Taxes at Assure. What triggers the need to file taxes? How are fund entities different than operating business with respect to tax reporting? What you need to know about when you need to file taxes or not over the life of an investment. They dive in to convertible notes vs. SAFEs, priced rounds, and more. Also, how do management fees, carried interest affect taxes? What are the differences between SPVs and VC Funds? All this and more on this episode of Structuring and Admin with Kathy Marsh.

The Assure Podcast with Jeremy Neilson, of Structuring and Admin: HOW TO SET UP AND RUN A FUND, "SPV Fund Documents" with Evan Hiller of Riggs Davie PLC.  Aren't SPV Docs just stripped down VC Fund Docs? Jeremy Neilson and Evan discuss the difference between SPV vs VC fund documents and the misconceptions around executing with an SPV. Evan shares his experience with common mistakes organizers get into with trying to spin up docs for deals, and insights in how to approach structuring and deal docs for different fund types.

In this episode of Structuring and Admin, Jeremy sits down with Michael Blackham of the Fund Law Group to talk about the ins and outs of Exempt Reporting Advisors when managing a fund. They go over theoretical scenarios for fund managers and deal organizers and provide insights on the structuring and admin implications of ERAs.

What happens after you've finalized an investment into a private asset? Isn't it all about raising money and closing the deal?  Jeremy talks with Miles Millard, Vice President of Operations at Assure, about all the work that has to happen after you close your fund. Administrative, from membership transfers to redemptions, acting on behalf of the investors on the cap table, with shareholder votes, and more.

Sky Fernandes talks with Assure CEO Jeremy Neilson about getting in to private investment, the future of education, and the state of the market.

In this episode, Jeremy Neilson talks with Boris Revsin about the investment thesis of Republic Labs, insights on the market amidst the pandemic, and optimizing your investment operation by leveraging technology.