Ahrya Mozaffarian

Seattle's startup scene is growing, but it’s clear we have some work to do. That was a main takeaway from our panel discussion last week featuring venture capitalists from top-tier firms including Brentt Baltimore of Greycroft, Victoria Treyger of Felicis, and Sunil Nagaraj of Ubiquity Ventures, moderated by Kirby Winfield. Their goal: analyze Seattle's startup landscape from an outsider’s perspective with active Seattle investments. They see a city rich in technical talent but with several missing pieces. Go-to-market strategies often lag behind technical capabilities; capital is available, but frequently from outside the region; and stronger community cohesion is needed to bridge incumbent tech leaders with founder types. I transcribed and edited our panel last week "Valley VCs 💗 Seattle Startups." https://lnkd.in/ggchXW4B

102

20 Comments

Excited to share key insights from the “Shift Happens 2024” report, which I've been working on alongside Lotan Levkowitz, Or Git and Niv Yungelson. The report highlights the transformative potential of Gen AI across the software development lifecycle. Special thanks to Zack Smocha, Guy Sayar, Philip Tannor, Amit Attias, Ofer Kirshenbaum and Ron Netzerel🎗️for their valuable contributions. I'll be presenting the report and some more insights at our #Shift_Happens summit tomorrow. Don't miss it! Read the full report in the comments below! 👇 Amazon Web Services (AWS), Grove Ventures

45

5 Comments

More than 100 talented Seattle-area individuals have already applied to Co-founder Connect and thousands more have visited the landing page less than a week since launch, reinforcing our thesis that Seattle is ready for a digital hub bringing together both technical and business-minded people to launch new ventures. We’ve been getting flooded with interest from engineers, operertors, and even former C-suite execs about what this is and what it could be. Others have volunteered to help build the platform. It’s so inspiring! If you’re in Seattle looking for a co-founder, check out our intake form (linked in comments). We’re moving quickly to onboard folks onto a platform to meet a potential match. My former editor Taylor Soper wrote an awesome article about what makes a good co-founder, featuring insights from attendees at Founders Bash. He also mentions Co-founder Connect! :-)

82

4 Comments

Paraform just announced our seed round today! 🎉 So I'll also share how I joined Paraform a couple months ago. I was approached by a recruiter—on Paraform—about Paraform. Fongyen Lin and I had a great chat on a Friday in January about the company and the role, and I thought it was a great fit, both in terms of it being a talent-related company and it being an early operator role. I had a Zoom chat with John Kim and Jeffrey Li the following Tuesday, then came in for an onsite lunch on Thursday, where John and Jeff were awesome in how transparent they were about the company, its challenges, and the massive opportunity space. And I came away impressed by how mature the product was, as well as the humility about the mistakes that had been made. It took a couple weeks to work out a plan for parental leave, but glad things worked out, because it's been the most exciting and invigorating past 2 months cranking and building with John, Jeff, and Aparimeya Taneja (also hired through Paraform!), helping amazing startups hire and supporting some of the best recruiters in the business. There's so much more to come. If you're a startup hiring, let Paraform help you fill your hardest roles. If you're a recruiter, come see if Paraform can be your ticket to building your own agency or an additional income stream. It's time to change how talent finds its place.

34

5 Comments

In the past 10 months, I have been a lot more involved in the AZ tech startup ecosystem and I love the buzz that has been happening since then from VARIOUS new/excited players in the state. A couple shoutouts to people I've loved interacting with in that timeframe who are helping push AZ forward! Also, in a selfless way, I might add, which is somewhat difficult to find in emerging and underserved tech ecosystems. Daniela Santangelo of Freeway Don Fotsch of the Nerd Network Tyler Leber 🥥and Coconut VA's effort to build in public (while hosting pickleball events!) The team PHX Ventures with PHX FWD helping educate and promote the AZ tech ecosystem. Jose Dastas of J.P. Morgan As for myself, I love hosting invite-only tech events in the valley that are exclusive to tech founders, investors, and operators. These events aim to create a selfless tech ecosystem in AZ, while also educating founders on how to best navigate investor relations and fundraising. I don't want to just shine a light on AZ Tech or hype it up, I want to be sure that we are creating an ecosystem where great builders are creating amazing things that are "need to have", not necessarily "nice to have." Also, the events I personally host with Venture On will ALWAYS be free. Mostly taken from the model that Andrew Yeung does out in NYC with andrew's mixers. (Been to a couple of his events and have loved it each time) Let's keep building AZ!! CC Kyle Macdonald, Christopher Fox #aztech #siliconvalley #silicondesert? #venturecapital #startups #fundraising #IB #VC #tech

15

5 Comments

soooo who's #hiring engineers in LA? I'm putting an uno-reverse on the hiring process 😂 for TECH WEEK by a16z where startups pitch themselves to engineers in LA, show what makes their engineering culture unique, & why top engineers should work there! DM me if you want pitch at the event. We will give a preference to companies actively interviewing for 3+ open eng roles in October. Register directly if you're an engineer who wants to attend: https://lnkd.in/gtHsfXRU #LATechWeek

85

20 Comments

On this week's Andreessen Horowitz Raising Health podcast, Vijay Pande, PhD and I interviewed Tom Hale, CEO of ŌURA. Our conversation spans lots of fun topics, including: -- Our love for our Oura rings, despite them being literal “buzz kills” in revealing the ruinous effect of alcohol on sleep  -- How the worlds of consumer and healthcare are merging, as consumers essentially now have access to clinical-grade wearable devices  -- How AI algorithms are deployed in wearable devices & what wearables might look like 20 years from now (implanted into our bodies and clothes)  -- How the sexiest people sleep in earplugs and eye masks Check it out! https://lnkd.in/eTAsX_sY

83

9 Comments

A billion dollar high-fashion celebrity brand and a natural Ozempic? The top stories I'm digging into right now: ♡ Women’s Health & Beauty ♡ - Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme is launching a GLP-1 (and it’s natural) - Sami Clarke, Sami Spalter, and Form hit $21M in revenue ♡ Media, Entertainment & Creator ♡ - Kristin Juszczyk drops a Gatorate collab - Task Oakley is the new face of Prene - Podcast deals are booming—Joe Rogan, Kelce Brothers, and Alex Cooper strike big deals - The MTV Video Music Awards shows how powerful TikTok’s really is - NFL sets week 1 viewership record - The US Open sees 1M fans ♡ E-Commerce, Retail & Social ♡ - Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol wants to make it a new coffee shop - Dell joins the S&P 500, shares jump - L’Oréal heir and Chanel owners invest in The Row - NYFW isn’t dead ♡ Tech, Business, & Investing ♡ - How AI is shifting consumer values - Female Founders Fund isn’t betting big on AI - Walgreens is the worst performing stock of the S&P 500 this year You can read more in this week's issue of ICYMI: https://lnkd.in/gSkTPtnY #consumernews #litrendingtopics #ozempic

85

10 Comments

📣 A Friday shout out to several people who truly are going above and beyond to support their peers, professionalize a function, and raise awareness of #VCplatform. Not only are these leaders devoting their time and energy (beyond their day jobs) to creating content and sharing knowledge with our cohort, but they are setting powerful examples of how to successfully build community and leverage the knowledge and experience of others (which translates into meaningful lessons and tactical tips platform leaders can apply in their jobs). There has never been a better time to be building (and learning!) in platform with this network that is growing and increasingly becoming more savvy and sophisticated, not only in our own respective roles, but in how the broader community communicates and the quality of resources available to help each one of us excel at our own VC shops. 📈 🚀 💡 Thank you to Olivia O'Sullivan with Platform Shift, Allie Mullen with #SoYouWantToWorkInPlatform, Cory Bolotsky’s new killer newsletter, Beck Bamberger, PhD with VC Comms, and Kristen Ostro w/Let's Talk Ops. #vcplatform #whatsnext

62

6 Comments

Wildfires shaped my childhood and my career. Growing up in Southern California, I saw firsthand the devastation caused by fires. But I also saw the potential to fight back using preparation, strategy, and innovation. Today, at Talking Tree Ventures, we’re using ForestTech to prevent and manage wildfires, ensuring sustainable forest restoration for future generations. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ggsThTHD / Follow #TalkingTreeVentures to stay current on #CorporateInnovation #ForestTech and other important topics. = = = = = = = #WildfirePrevention #ForestRestoration #FireManagement #Sustainability #Innovation #DigitalForestry #ClimateChange #ForestTech

11

Appreciative of Tim De Chant's article on Crosscut Ventures' evolution. We've (Rick Smith and Brett Brewer) been building #SoCalTech for 16+ years and have naturally been drawn to the techno-manufacturing revolution of #ElSegundo driving innovation in #FrontierTech. Portfolio companies like Umbra, Aalo Atomics, Proteus Space, Carbon Ridge, Airloom Energy and many others yet to be announced have the potential to transform energy, advanced manufacturing, space and defense to push global decarbonization, secure America's borders and drive the continued commercialization of space. https://lnkd.in/gmy-Srgn #longLA #DeepTech #ClimateTech #SocalTech #Hawthorne #ElSegundo #Torrance #venturecapital #nuclearenergy #aerospace #defense #advancedmanufacturing

51

5 Comments

If you are attending NextUp, stop by my session with Rodrigo Gomes to talk about data and how it can be leveraged for your strategic goals!

11

Thinking more about the just-announced Cleantech Accelerator partnership between Cox & gener8tor.... I've heard two things from folks in my network: a/ Why Atlanta? b/ Why now? Why now: Cleantech isn't new, but it's evolving rapidly. The market is $200B+ with huge growth potential in areas like energy storage, EV infrastructure, and carbon capture. There's a lot of work to do--and with federal support, falling costs and increased demand, it's a good time to do it. Why Atlanta: Georgia's cleantech scene is booming: $11.5B+ invested since 2018, including major EV and battery plants. Consider that Atlanta boasts: 🌱 #7 in solar energy production 🌱 #11 for green office space 🌱 World-class research at Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute & elsewhere This accelerator could cement Atlanta's role in the cleantech ecosystem, spinning out future industry leaders and creating a central hub for innovation. Cleantech in Atlanta: Not just possible, but promising! 💡🌎 #Cleantech #Atlanta #Sustainability #Innovation

3

1 Comment

Inspired by what we’re building at Build Momentum. We realized tech recruiting is broken—non-technical recruiters struggle to find and attract the best talent. That’s why we’ve flipped the script and developed a community-based recruiting approach: a trusted network of elite engineers, embedded within Latam’s top tech communities. The best engineers know the best engineers, and we tap into these deep, authentic connections to deliver top talent faster and with better fit. Want to see how we’re doing it differently? Check out our post

15

Energized and inspired: Key takeaways from last night's networking event. I had a wonderful time at the Initialized Capital yesterday evening. The event focused on connecting early-stage startups with talent, including Career Karma & TANDA. Jesse Chor, CEO of TANDA, is creating a community-based financial support platform. He had such a warm and honest presence during his talks. It was my first networking event in a while and it was revitalizing! Before walking in the door, I told myself that I was going to talk to everyone, and I did just that! I even met Ahmad O. from Mt. San Antonio College - I rarely meet someone who attended the same community college. Event Takeaways: • Own your contrarian truth: We all have points of view that differ from the norm; put them on display and stand behind them. • Find your “almost yes”es: Some of your best opportunities come from connections where the relationship feels right even if the job is not. Stay in touch with those people! 🤝 • Building is key: You always learn while building and it’s great to share your progress along the way! (updates coming soon 👀) I’m looking forward to fostering the connections from yesterday. #StartupCommunity #EventInsights #CommunityBuilding #NetworkingEvent

84

11 Comments

Let's hear ir from illumex and Inna Tokarev Sela !! Find out what you have and how you can use it with ILLUMEX!

12

Hi everyone! I don’t share too often on here, but we’re at a very exciting moment at AptDeco, and I wanted to let you all in on it. AptDeco opened a community investment round and the response has been incredible. We’ve raised over $2M so far from institutional investors, customers and supporters. Nothing is more validating than customers doubling down with their own capital. And now, I’m inviting you, my network, to be part of our journey. When we started AptDeco, we set out to make buying and selling furniture easier. Over the years, many of our competitors have come and gone, but AptDeco continues to thrive. Why? Our technology, logistics and branding continues to set us apart and that's why major retailers including West Elm, Pottery Barn, La-Z-Boy, Article and 30+ more have partnered with us. The beauty with this investment round is that anyone can be an investor. Learn more and invest directly at wefunder.com/AptDeco.

184

16 Comments

Whew! Just recovering today after two amazing days at DTCx Retain 2024 here in LA! 🤯🎉 Picture this: A room full of DTC founders, all in one place, swapping secrets and leveling up their game. It was like a masterclass, party, and networking event rolled into one! Some cool stuff that went down: From the Disco Themed Launch Party to a Full Day of Talks that were all right on time to crush Q4. We've got some new strategies this BFCM (holiday szn, so we're coming for ya!) Met SO many awesome people - from brand owners to tech solutions for #DTCbrands But here's what really got me fired up: In the midst of the hardwork that I do, i cherish most the intentional heart work that I get to live though. I brought along 10+ founders from diverse backgrounds who are ready to SCALE. 🚀 Many of them are already 8+ Figure brands while a few are on their way with just a few moves in the right direction. Seeing them soak up knowledge, make connections, and get fired up about their potential... that's what it's all about for me. I'm all in on bringing education, resources, and tech to brands that are about to blow up but don't always get a seat at the table. This event was just the beginning! Biggest takeaway... The e-comm world is changing fast, but with the right strategies (and a little AI magic), we can all ride this wave to the top. Thanks Gorgias | Gorgias

32

5 Comments

Forum Ventures' The Midnight Text shares our POV on the early stage journey, for founders by people that get it. The most recent newsletter hones in on a topic I live and breathe every day - the importance of the founding team. Here's a highlight: "A lot of founders over-index on presenting the business, but you are just as important to the story." Don't miss out. 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gfgnZDUU

23

1 Comment