Anna Mason

Today, Two Chairs announces $72M of new funding to continue building a world where everyone has access to exceptional mental health care. Since late 2017, when Maveron led the Two Chairs Series A, the need for mental health services has grown considerably as our society has become lonelier and more isolated than ever. At the same time, our culture’s willingness to openly acknowledge these challenges is greater than ever. Sadly, the rapid growth of Two Chairs affirms the fact that our society is in desperate need of better mental health support. Two Chairs has built a business that believes clinical quality is the defining characteristic of success. Alex Katz has always emphasized the paramountcy of measurement-based clinical outcomes, which the team works tirelessly to achieve. In the process, Two Chairs has illustrated that embracing the ‘move fast and break things’ mentality doesn’t always work. Instead, Two Chairs opted for a different approach: they went slow to go fast. They built a proprietary algorithm that matches patients with the perfect therapist at the onset and hired a team of W2 clinicians oriented toward providing the highest quality care available. Even as the Two Chairs team has grown, their culture has remained small. This has enabled more intimate relationships within the team and between clients and clinicians. Reflecting on this milestone brings me back to the founding of Maveron and the values we hold dear. In 1998, my friend Howard Schultz and I founded Maveron to help entrepreneurs build companies that improve the lives of everyday people—their employees and their customers. There is perhaps no better example of this than Two Chairs. *** Thank you to TechCrunch's Marina Temkin, CFA for the great write-up. https://tcrn.ch/4aMt7yG

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Building on the success of Rocket Studio with Simon Kirby and Pivotal with Dominic Joseph we decided to merge with Impact Counsel, led by the awesomely talented John D., Erim Jones and Robert Fok earlier this year. We’ve combined our significant and complimentary skills, experience and passion for growing amazing businesses to create a new breed of VC - Creative Capital Ventures Group (CCV). Fund 1 is focused on Sports, Media & Entertainment. Joining us on this exciting journey is media titan Tom Rogers (ex CEO Tivo & CNBC). We have also assembled a mighty team of Venture Partners bringing their expertise into our team, with the legendary Harvey Goldsmith leading our Immersive Entertainment category, and Cam Blackwood (Platinum award winning record producer) and his team at Rezonate heading up Music Rights acquisition. Creative Capital Ventures is designed to disrupt traditional VC models and accelerate the growth of innovative start-ups. We’ve already secured €18 million in commitments and are raising €35 million in total to fuel the next generation of game-changing businesses. What makes CCV different? •⁠ ⁠Founder-Led Expertise: Our team comprises serial entrepreneurs and operators who have built, scaled, and exited successful companies. We know what it takes to drive rapid growth. •⁠ ⁠Speed Scaler: Through our unique venture studio model, we’re not just funding companies—we’re actively accelerating their growth, shrinking the timeline from seed to exit. •⁠ ⁠Industry Focus: CCV focuses on high-growth sectors like Sports, Media, Entertainment, and Lifestyle, with a unique emphasis on IP acquisition to drive returns in stable asset classes. If you're interested in learning more about how CCV is reshaping the venture capital landscape, let’s connect!  More updates to follow! #VentureCapital #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Startups #ScalingFast #CreativeCapitalVentures https://lnkd.in/eiuWVtvT

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Sharing views of my Partner. "Within the climate change investment ecosystem, much of the capital has gone to two ends of the spectrum: venture capital and infrastructure. Those investments are obviously impactful, but more of a developmental, long-term approach to solving climate change. We try to focus on where we can make an impact today. That means looking for companies already reducing emissions or saving energy." Read more from Stuart Barkoff, co-founder and managing partner GEF Capital Partners https://lnkd.in/dX2CMs35

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Reflecting on the enriching discussions at the recent PEWIN - Private Equity Women Investor Network CIO Roundtable in Boston. It was a joy to hear from panelists Letitia Johnson (Amherst College), Deb Shufrin (Colby College), Abigail Wattley (Williams College), and moderator Sarah Samuels, CFA, CAIA (NEPC, LLC). Some of my key takeaways: From the CIO perspective, alignment with the board is paramount. Portfolios experience ebbs and flows, emphasizing the necessity of a board committed to long-term strategies. Data underscores the repercussions of misalignment—allocators often undermine value by prematurely exiting positions for liquidity needs or reacting impulsively to market fluctuations. Across the board, CIOs prioritize firms that can articulate their competitive edge, foster sustainable organizations with top-tier talent, culture, and succession planning, and demonstrate agility in evolving markets. A robust LP base providing long-term support and institutional guidance is also crucial. Success isn't about funding billionaires—it's about supporting determined individuals committed to sustained success. Privates demand more than short-term commitment—they require a relentless desire to succeed over time. For a deeper dive into the role of CIO, I highly recommend The Counting House by Gary Sernovitz. #CIOInsights #PEWINRoundtable #InvestmentStrategies

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Had a fantastic time today discussing VC investing and SWFs on the recent panel about Global LPs active in the LAC VC/PE space. I remain bullish on the region, despite its fundraising challenges. Keep at it, GPs! The promise shown by founder-led tech companies leveraging technology is truly inspiring, and it’s exciting to see global investors like SWFs start to eye LatAm with keen interest! Big thanks to Inter-American Development Bank , IDB Lab , IDB Invest for the invitation to share my few thoughts...💻📱 🌎💼📈 #VentureCapital #SovereignWealthFunds #InvestmentTrends #LatinAmerica

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This week I'm offsite with my C-suite besties from Vanta 🦙, David Eckstein Jeremy Epling Ari Shahdadi & Christina Cacioppo, kicking off the annual planning process. We'll sit together to whiteboard and debate where to invest, what to focus on, and equally importantly what we won't prioritize in the coming year. Vanta has grown a ton and how we organize our initiatives matters. We're seeking clarity of thought, focused direction, and definitive metrics. We'll leave this week with a draft of: - Our Strategy on a Page (SOAP), summed up in a single unifying vision statement - 4-5 major Strategic Initiatives (SIs), tied to specific customer cohorts we aim to serve - A set of Contributing Actions that capture, along with key metrics, what we'll build and invest in and how we'll measure success Next up we'll bring this draft to our Leadership Team for feedback and iteration. Once the LT iterates on this plan we'll enter formal creation of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP). Planning may not be sexy, but these rituals set the tone for a thoughtful, clear plan that drives focused execution. And it's also quite a lot of fun to sit and talk about the future and who we want to be next year and beyond. 😀 🚀

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ICYMI, I recently wrote for Entrepreneur Media why meaningful measurement is absolutely critical in the impact investing space. We have an obligation to see beyond short-term profits and measure impact outside the walls of investment portfolios, ensuring that we are also uplifting the lives of people in the communities where we disperse capital. #ImpactInvesting

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The new quarterly review is live! Each quarter, I dive into the latest trends and shifts in the venture capital market, covering both the broader macro perspective and the unique insights we’re seeing at Florida Funders. Check out my latest article to stay informed on what’s shaping the VC landscape and how we're navigating it at FF. Always eager to hear your thoughts – let’s keep the conversation going! #VentureCapital #FloridaFunders #MarketInsights

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Lots of PE groups profess to port-co's the importance of solidifying a differentiated strategy. But also important to eat your own cooking. What is your FIRM's differentiated strategy? And how differentiated is it? Enjoyed the discussion with Nick Bradley on The Scale Up Podcast! #PrivateEquity #Talent

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Divestment requirements have a very real cost. This reduces the ability of endowments and foundations to support their mission driven enterprises. As the list of divestment demands grow, at what point do the consequences outweigh the perceived benefits? Hiding at the end of this article is the below quote: Golden admitted the divestment had undermined Princo’s returns, saying the endowment “would have been better off” otherwise. But he pointed to a bigger concern: the pressure to “keep adding things to divest from”. “Fossil fuels are necessarily part of getting to where the overall economy needs to be [and] it would be impossible for the world to not use fossil fuels tomorrow,” he said. “Divestment is a pretty weak tool to change the economy.” https://lnkd.in/g3SeC8rg #energy #investing #vc

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In the article at the link below, Spencer Stuart reports on how much time board members spent on board service and how they spent their time on those boards. (This is for all boards, but 60% of respondents sat on public company boards.) A few takeaways: 1)       What is the time commitment? Private company directors spend ~3 hours per week per board, and public company directors spend ~5 hours per week. This is not minor, but then again public boards, at least, pay well for board service, so it is compensated fairly, if not well. 2)       How is board time allocated? Board members wanted proportionally more time spent debating strategy/performance, succession, talent, and AI. The largest changes in what they want to spend more time on include #AI, new technologies, and #cybersecurity (i.e., all things tech-related). Do members of your board have expertise in these critical areas? Directors want less time spent in meetings on ESG and DEI topics. 3)       Are the agendas the right agendas? Directors want #boardchairs, CEOs, and management teams to be even more purposeful and strategic about setting the agenda. Here’s an excerpt: “Several respondents noted how management presentations take up huge portions of [board] time. Even those intended to be 'information-only' can consume more time than expected as board members ask questions and precious time is spent on topics that don’t necessarily need board attention. One respondent suggested sharing more management presentations several days before the meeting. 'The executive team needs to think more carefully about the board agenda and not overloading it with topics that require lengthy discussions.'" 4) What about executive sessions? Respondents noted that a best practice was to hold #executivesessions at the beginning AND end of meetings. In the initial executive session, the board can also improve the agenda and prioritize for the meeting ahead. This is an interesting best practice. I have yet to be in a board meeting with two executive sessions. Have any of you? I don’t think I would have done this with boards I was on because attention spans were too short for two executive sessions. I have been on boards where CEOs hosted a dinner with board members and key staff. Staff presented and we all debated a key corporate topic, which worked very well. #governance #boardofdirectors

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RETHINKING RETIREMENT We've been investing in the Future of Work since we launched BBG Ventures, targeting underserved segments like deskless workers (Anthill, OX) and solopreneurs (Topline Pro). Over the summer we spent time digging into another deeply underserved segment of the workforce: Boomers. By the end of this decade, the entire generation will have hit retirement age and, for the first time, Americans 65+ will outnumber those under 18. This has huge implications for every aspect of society, and it mandates that we start thinking differently about retirement. The question for all of us is this: Can we re-focus healthy Americans 60+ on a new phase of productivity, a “third act” that enables them to keep learning, keep earning, keep socially-engaged and contributing to the nation’s economic growth? And what role can AI play in helping every senior identify their unique skill set and personal priorities — and connect them with the right opportunities? We have some thoughts on how to make this happen, and we'd love you to give it a read, add your feedback, forward it to a founder who's working in this arena (or who you think might be intrigued), and share it! AgeTech has been too focused on death and decay; it's time we embrace longevity and give older Americans a way to keep working -- on their terms. cc: Carol Magalhães Isaacs, CFA Nisha Dua, Claire Biernacki, Drew Silverman Fennessy

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Great piece in #PEI, there is indeed a disincentive for sharing "bad news" to investors because, in an already tough #fundraising environment it only makes the hill steeper to climb. This study also confirms the natural bifurcation between better performing "value driver" assets and the lesser ones which tend to vegetate in legacy portfolios for years and pile up in PE's aggregate #AUM year over year. They could still indeed deliver "option value" but most likely not... Because they are in fact overvalued already! #CCPL #CollyerCapital #secondaries #valuations

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✨ Breaking: BFM Fund Announces New Fund.- BFM Fund A seed-stage fund focusing on founders who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, promoting diversity in venture capital. https://www.bfm.fund Please share to let other #Founders know For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups#Venturecapital

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What would you ask Stephanie Heller (Galantine) and Fatou Diagne, Managing Partners at Bootstrap Europe? I'm speaking to Stephanie and Fatou for the EUVC podcast in the upcoming days, and would love to drop your questions. Share your thoughts in the comments section below. 💞 #EUVCpodcast #venturecapital #angelinvesting #startupfunding #europe

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Recent headlines have been focused on the challenging market for private equity and venture capital funds. However, per PitchBook, the trend toward increased investor allocations to those vehicles continues. From the article: "If you look at the amount of funds that either we are recommending for advisers or those that are ultimately garnering the most allocation dollars (on GLASfunds’ platform), private equity still is the major asset class. And that would include PE- and VC-focused secondary funds. More than half of all commitments made by advisers on our platform are to PE and VC strategies." - James Ouderkirk at GLASfunds. The truth is that companies continue to remain private longer, pushing off an IPO to much later in the maturity stage (if ever). Therefore, if investors want access to growth-stage returns, they must continue to allocate significant capital to both private equity and venture capital. Don't expect this trend to reverse any time soon. Endeavor Colorado Zeb King Tegan Stanbach Kathryn Dickson #privateequity #venturecapital #investing #entrepreneurship #founders #startups #innovation https://lnkd.in/gQWuvxuP

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This thoughtful article in Stanford Social Innovation Review examines whether impact investing should be more difficult than traditional investing. While that position may elicit varying responses, I concur with author Maoz Brown that for impact investors to deliver value-added impact, there should be something truly distinct about the deals they structure--at least in comparison to deals made by socially neutral investors. The article also presents us with an important thesis that impact investors need to address the urgent problems that are currently being neglected by capital markets, keeping social impact front and center in their growth strategies. #ImpactInvesting

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Thrilled to announce BBG Ventures second institutional fund – a $60M early-stage fund backing overlooked founders who are building for the Polycultural Future of America. Thanks Emma Hinchliffe at Fortune for sharing the news: https://lnkd.in/gSwqpHpq We’ve spent the last few years observing the passage of the country from a monoculture to one where women were a bigger part of the story, to today - where identity and lived experience matter more than ever. We call this the Polyculture – a new status quo in which America is a mosaic of unique segments; where identity is multivariate and dynamic; and where individuals can identify with multiple communities at once. I began using this term over 2 years ago, as a cross-culture kid myself: the child of Indian immigrants, growing up in rural Australia - and now an immigrant in America. We wondered - how do Americans perceive identity, and how does that drive their most fundamental needs? We conducted research with +2000 Americans across equal cross sections of race, gender, age and income. Here’s what we found: 1. We have surprisingly common priorities, needs and concerns despite our unique identities. 2. The biggest areas of the economy are still on the table, with Americans highlighting huge areas of opportunity in health, work, financial security, climate safety, and the underserved. 3. But we need new, more nuanced-solutions and personalization considering the emerging majority minority generation, an aging population, widening wealth gaps and continued differences along gender lines. To that end, we’ve officially expanded our mandate to embrace this evolution, backing underestimated founders – female or diverse – addressing the biggest pain points for our polycultural population. Read the full report here: The Mind of Polycultural America - https://lnkd.in/gdtiFE7v We’re proud to partner with new LPs including Fairview Capital, Pivotal Ventures, The California Endowment in addition to our many returning partners like Illumen Capital, George Kaiser Family Foundation who believe as we do: when you make change, you make money. If you’re an early-stage founder working to move the world forward in health, work, financial security, climate safety or for the underserved - in B2B or B2C - we want to talk to you. Susan Lyne Claire Biernacki Drew Silverman Fennessy Carol Magalhães Isaacs, CFA Addison B. Marsh, Jr.

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