Thanks to Jennifer Carolan and Shauntel Garvey for joining me on the NGPF Podcast recently. NGPF got its start in the Reach Capital offices so I am eternally grateful to Jennifer and Shauntel. Not only did they provide us with space (a table) but they also provided the wise counsel and guidance that we needed. In this podcast, they provide insights into the life of a venture capitalist, what they look for in start-up edtech companies and then share a few war stories from several of their portfolio companies, including Nearpod and Newsela. Enjoy!

Details:

• 0:00~1:23 Introduction
• 1:23~5:59 Jennifer talks about how she got into the venture capital world
• 5:59~9:33 Shauntel discusses her passion for education and technology
• 9:33~11:52 On having complementary skills as co-founders
• 11:52~15:07 Typical day as a venture capitalist
• 15:07~19:27 What makes a good pitch?
• 19:27~27:22 On investing in Nearpod 
• 27:22~31:32 On evaluating companies 
• 31:32~38:31 The emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• 38:31~39:29 What to include in a pitch
• 39:29~42:24 Women in venture capital 
• 42:24~45:01 What’s missing in EdTech? 
• 45:01~47:05 How many pitches do you hear in a week?
• 47:05~49:43 The future of venture capital
• 49:43~52:53 Future EdTech products 
• 52:53~54:30 Conclusion

Resources:

• Reach Capital 
• All Raise

Quotes:

• “I want to make sure that [when I invest in a company] there’s a big vision here. Maybe you’re starting as one niche in something but then how does it get big eventually?” -Shauntel

• “I think it’s so important for this whole industry to think about the implications and impact of what they are funding because venture capital is a powerful sector in terms of fuel for growth for companies.” -Jennifer

About the Authors

Ren Makino

Ren started interning at NGPF in 2014, and worked part-time through high school and college. With his knowledge growing alongside NGPF, he joined the team to work full-time after graduating from college in 2020. He is also the producer of the NGPF podcast. During his free time, he likes to try out coffees from different roasters across the world.

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Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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