Alexa Binns, a seasoned investor and marketer, takes us through her remarkable journey from non-profit roots to establishing herself as a venture capital investor, overseeing her family office alongside her three sisters. Drawing from her dual roles as an angel investor and limited partner, Alexa provides invaluable insights for founders and venture capitalists alike, enriching the conversation with her wealth of experience and perspective.

In this episode:

[2:03] Alexa’s path to venture capital: Discover how Alexa transitioned from her role in a non-profit organization to making her mark in the competitive world of venture capital.

[8:26] Three critical aspects that every founder should understand about angel investors to optimize their interactions and avoid common pitfalls.

[12:38] The significant impact of new emerging managers on the venture capital landscape and what this means for the industry.

[16:40] The "Three S’s" – sourcing, selecting, and stewardship – essential criteria for assessing and choosing the best emerging fund managers.

[22:33] The current state of investment in female founders: are they receiving the funding they rightfully deserve?

[28:11] Swimming with Allocators podcast, where limited partners share their decision-making processes in VC investments.

The non-profit organization that Alexa is passionate about: Norman Lear Center USC

About Alexa Binns

Alexa Binns is a seasoned investor and marketer, known for her acute ability to identify emerging trends and technologies. Over her career, she has risen from associate to partner in venture capital, making significant investments at firms such as Maven, Halogen, and Spacecadet. Some of her notable angel investments include Chipper Cash, Sana Benefits, and The Flex Co.

In addition to her investing prowess, Alexa brings a decade of operational experience, having developed both digital and physical products for high-profile clients including Planned Parenthood, MTV, Disney, and Target. She excels in innovative marketing strategies; her accomplishments range from writing a master’s thesis on building a brand on YouTube to helping sell the Twitch influencer marketing platform NoScope. She was also nominated for a Mashable Award for her work with Foursquare and pioneered some of the first advertising campaigns on Twitter.

Alexa also co-hosts Swimming with Allocators, a venture podcast that offers insights from the limited partner (LP) perspective. Alongside Earnest Sweat, she interviews top allocators and industry leaders weekly, exploring their strategies and perspectives on the next decade of venture capital.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Vijay Reddy, partner at Mayfield, talks about the latest innovations and trends shaping the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. He shares his venture capital journey and describes Mayfield's unique focus on cognitive plumbing and Cognition-as-a-Service (CaaS), unraveling what these concepts entail. Vijay also offers practical advice for startup founders keen on tapping into the myriad opportunities within the realm of AI.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[1:24] From a 10th grade circuits and chips enthusiast to technology executive and founder

[5:50] Vijay’s evolution as a venture capital investor fueled by technology curiosity

[13:41] Debate about AI being a good or bad thing - it’s not worthy!

[15:04] Get these 3 things right for success with an AI-first startup.

The non-profit organization that Vijay is passionate about: Upward

About Vijay Reddy

Vijay Reddy is a partner at Mayfield with over a decade of AI and deeptech investing experience. Prior, Vijay was an investor at Clear Ventures and Intel Capital. He witnessed AI's rise from its inception, and with a founder-first approach, he has invested across the AI stack, backing companies like SambaNova, DataRobot, and BabbleLabs. He began his career as an entrepreneur, co-founding a startup after leaving his PhD program, and has held senior roles at Broadcom and Intel.

About Mayfield

Mayfield is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in AI-first companies

at the Seed, Series A and Series B stages. The firm has raised 20 U.S. funds since 1969, and currently has $3 billion under management. Mayfield takes pride in an investment team that has a founder DNA and operates from a shared set of beliefs and partners for the long term with entrepreneurs pursuing big ideas. Companies in Mayfield’s portfolio include: Outreach, seekout, alchemy, auradine, chemix, crunchbase, Gutsy, LexCheck, OwnID, Qwiet, Vijil, VERSA Networks among others.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Philip Edmundson, founder of Corvus Insurance (recently acquired by Travelers), shares the captivating journey of Corvus, from its inception to its recent acquisition. He discusses the company's unique approach to cyber risk and its mission to revolutionize commercial insurance with advanced data science and an AI-driven approach. Philip also discusses opportunities for innovation in insurance, and gives insights into crucial startup matters such as early team building and selecting the right investors.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[2:45] From ‘78 to 2024: How has the insurance industry evolved?

[5:03] The genesis of Corvus, and reasons for focusing on cyber insurance

[13:25] Hiring the first set of team members: lessons and tips for founders

[19:20] Notable achievements and challenges faced while building Corvus

[26:31] Advice on choosing the right investors for your startup.

[33:51] Areas of opportunity for insurtech entrepreneurs to innovate.

The non-profit organization that Phil is passionate about: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

About Philip Edmundson

Philip Edmundson is the founder and CEO of the insurtech company Corvus Insurance. With a background in insurance broking and tech entrepreneurship, Philip started Corvus in 2017, aiming to enhance insurance underwriting and assist policyholders in risk reduction through data and technology. Philip emphasizes that insurance should go beyond risk transfer. Before Corvus, he co-founded William Gallagher Associates, acquired by Arthur J Gallagher, and played key roles in industry networks.

About Corvus Insurance

Corvus Insurance (now a subsidiary of Travelers Insurance) is an insurance company that focuses on cyber risk, loss prevention, and mitigating adverse events using data-driven and AI-powered tools. The Corvus mission is to make the world safer from cyber threats. The company delivers insights to broker partners, helping to make them smarter about the complex risks their clients face.

Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.