This Picture is Worth +/-1,000 ETH

The innovation of the internet was to make information cheap, accessible and capable of being infinitely duplicated. This construct opened the world to abundant and inexpensive information. Humanity forever changed…

Continue Reading

Yes, And

When asked what’s required to be a great investor, I often suggest a willingness to learn improv. That’s not to suggest that you have to be funny or…

Continue Reading

Go Fight Win!

Factor CEO Mike Apostal signs off his weekly team emails with the phrase: Go Fight Win. It sets the tone and drives a results-oriented culture that he and founder…

Continue Reading

Listen expands investment team with the addition of Kimmie Carey and Shawn Dennis

Chicago – 11/18/20: Listen, a consumer-focused venture capital firm investing in early-stage brands, has welcomed Kimmie Carey (Principal) and Shawn Dennis (Venture Partner) to the team. This powerhouse duo will…

Continue Reading

Voice of the consumer

Startup: “We’re maniacally focused on the consumer.” VC: “Great, how many consumers did you talk to before launching your brand?” Startup: “Oh, we don’t do research. I mean…

Continue Reading

Theraplay

Coming out of our 2018 thematic jammer, we made “therapy” a focus area for new investments. The belief was (and still is) that the concept of exercising your mind was…

Continue Reading

Making safety cool

Maybe it’s the renegade mindset or the invincible nature of humans, but for some reason safety has rarely been culturally cool. Especially when you’re asking people to alter their appearance.…

Continue Reading

Investing in my mind

My first therapy session was when I was six years old. My recently married Indian-immigrant parents knew that most blended families end in divorce and vowed to make it work.…

Continue Reading