Ben Curwin

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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Wonderful article about Emily Knight and the whole The Engine Accelerator team on the amazing work their doing changing the world with #ToughTech!

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What's the fast river in alts? Listen to the latest Alt Goes Mainstream podcast with Mercer's Gregg Sommer & CAIS' Neil Blundell to hear how they are helping advisors approach private markets. Gregg, Neil, and I had a fascinating discussion about how the wealth channel can approach alternatives and how they can think about both diligence and customization. We covered: * The case for alternatives. * How advisors currently approach alternatives and how they can think about it differently going forward. * How to think about portfolio construction that includes alternatives. * How alts can help advisors differentiate their practice and attract clients. * Following the fast river in a career and why alternatives are “the fast river.” * The meaning of “structure over strategy.” * The rise in popularity of evergreen funds. Thanks Gregg and Neil for sharing your thoughts and expertise on private markets. Thanks to our sponsor, Ultimus Fund Solutions, for making this episode possible. https://lnkd.in/eBtyw6Fm

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His career started when someone said to him, “well, have you thought about venture capital? We don’t think that you’d be any good at it.” The rest is history. Today’s Alt Goes Mainstream episode features one of the legends of the venture capital industry. Peter Barris joined New Enterprise Associates (NEA) in 1992 after a storied operating career as President and COO at Legent Corporation and an executive at GE Information Services. He served as Managing General Partner and Chairman of NEA from 1999 to March 2024. Under Peter's leadership, NEA saw tremendous success, growing into one of the world's largest venture capital firms and raising the largest-ever venture capital fund a number of times. Today, NEA's AUM stands over $25B. Peter was responsible for investing in a number of foundational and industry-transforming technology companies, including Salesforce, UUNET, Groupon, WebMD, Workday, CareerBuilder, Tempus AI, and more. We had a fascinating discussion about the early days of venture capital and how the industry has evolved. We covered: * The inside story of how almost every other Partner said no but Peter's investment turned out to be a 75x return. * What's the “best characteristic and the death characteristic” of an entrepreneur? * In today's hypercompetitive market do VCs have enough time to make good decisions? * Why the world of venture capital is about influence. * What does it mean to earn an entrepreneur’s trust as a VC? * Why VCs with operating backgrounds can bring unique value to startups. * How NEA came up with the term "Venture Growth Equity." * How can a VC tell that a founder is good at experimentation and that they have the good judgment? * Why specialization and domain expertise are prerequisites in today’s venture industry. Thanks to Ultimus Fund Solutions for sponsoring this episode of the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast. Thanks Peter for coming on the show. It was an honor and a pleasure to hear your views on the evolution of an industry and for you to share your wisdom and experiences. https://lnkd.in/eEJGEFWe

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The words Private Equity have been distorted with the passage of time. The truth is PE done well is not only a value creation platform but also a force for good. We back good businesses, good teams, and together we build. More on Traub Capital Partners in this short video.

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If you believe that #Diversity and #Inclusion matter, specifically in times like this, join us on October 30th. We will discuss the challenges and success stories of promoting Diversity in 2024. With me you will find industry leaders who were able to pull it off (!) 💥💥💥 Dorit Dor, Hasan Abasi, Vered Raviv Schwarz, Gal Shaul Guesty, Augury, HAAT Delivery, Check Point Software Power in Diversity Glilot Capital Partners Poalim Tech, Meitar | Law Offices, ESOP - Phoenix, Microsoft, Calcalist כלכליסט #nomatterwhat

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Great time on the Embracing Erosion podcast w/Devon O'Rourke! We talked about: 🚀 How to scale a company from concept to 9-figure exit 🔄 How to break away from the traditional consulting model and apply product approaches ⏩ Why it’s important to iterate quickly and often with messaging 💸📈What signals are important to pay attention to when investing in startups and much more!

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🔍 Curious about the value of attending private equity conferences? Our new article breaks down 25 compelling reasons why executives should invest in their professional growth by attending these events. From networking with key industry players to acquiring strategic insights, the ROI is substantial. Read more here: https://buff.ly/3LZnxOV 💼 Learn more about Blackmore Partners: https://buff.ly/42iNmB3 📅 Have questions? Schedule a meeting with our Director Chris Melton here: https://buff.ly/46DZD46 #PrivateEquity #CareerGrowth #ExecutiveRoles #BlackmorePartners #PECareers

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🔍 Curious about the value of attending private equity conferences? Our new article breaks down 25 compelling reasons why executives should invest in their professional growth by attending these events. From networking with key industry players to acquiring strategic insights, the ROI is substantial. Read more here: https://buff.ly/3LZnxOV 💼 Learn more about Blackmore Partners: https://buff.ly/42iNmB3 📅 Have questions? Schedule a meeting with our Director Chris Melton here: https://buff.ly/46DZD46 #PrivateEquity #CareerGrowth #ExecutiveRoles #BlackmorePartners #PECareers

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Patience and vision - the two key ingredients for successful long-term investment. As a Managing Partner at Black Slate Capital & Advisory, I've seen firsthand how growth capital can transform underperforming assets into billion-dollar success stories. It's not just about the money; it's about having the foresight to see the potential and the patience to let it unfold. In the private investment world, we often talk about the importance of a great vision. But what does that really mean? To me, it's about seeing beyond the immediate returns and focusing on the bigger picture. It's about investing in companies that have the potential to make a real impact, whether that's through innovative technology or by addressing a pressing social need. Of course, this approach requires patience. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a successful investment portfolio. It takes time to nurture and grow a company, to overcome challenges and to realize its full potential. But for those who are willing to wait, the rewards can be substantial. So, to my fellow investors and entrepreneurs, I say this: don't be afraid to think big and play the long game. The most successful investments are often those that are given the time and space to flourish. Let's connect and share our visions for the future – who knows what we can achieve together? #Investment #GrowthCapital #LongTerm

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Attended the VentureCrush event by Lowenstein Sandler LLP in NYC yesterday. First off great event 👏 So now the key points for female founders: - Yes funding for female founders is < 2.5% now - Yes funding is tough for all founders currently, but even more so for early-stage female founders But…………….. - Be very diligent about the investor- founder match. Make sure the thesis aligns - Perfect your pitch. If you can’t explain to your grandma its too complicated - Lastly, get ready for rejection. But remember all it takes is one yes to get the round rolling #venturecapital #funding #founders

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The VC with more unicorns than Accel, Insight & Sofbank only invests in developing economies. Impressive!  Endeavor‘s rules based VC, Endeavor Catalyst, is probably the best example of how tech and VC have gone global. Vamos, vamos, vamos Allen Taylor! 

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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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Markets talk. We listen. We've from heard from capital allocators (#VC, #PrivateEquity, #FamilyOffices....even #VentureStudios, #Incubators and #Accelerators) that due diligence is a bottleneck to deal flow. It's time-consuming, expensive and often, subjective. We've launched #VentureIQ by the 9point8 Collective to directly address this problem. VentureIQ is an AI-enabled diligence solution that provides rapid scale diligence reports with exceptional fidelity and demonstrable cost efficiency - all within a single business day. We're in our soft launch, now. So, if you want to gain back valuable time and expose the long tail of deal flow diligence, shoot me a DM or visit VentureIQ.ai.

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Worth checking out for any companies at the right stage.

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I joined General Catalyst over 7 years ago because it was clear we were approaching a significant inflection and I simply had to be a part of it. Today, as we announce ~$8B of new capital for fund XII to partner with the most ambitious founders who are transforming industries, to say this inflection exceeded my wildest expectations is an understatement. Thank you to our limited partners for trusting in us to Venture Beyond and to our founders who are pushing boundaries everyday. Hemant Taneja had the vision many years ago that the venture industry was changing and we needed to dream bigger to expand possibilities. While early stage investing will always be core, we have established innovative capital solutions so companies can grow effectively at every stage and transformation companies (such as Health Assurance Transformarion Company or HATCO) so that in addition to capital, we provide the most ambitious founders access to partnerships and adopters as we seek to maximize impact. These flywheels are powerful and already in motion and for us in healthcare, building toward a more resilient system of health globally. Could not be more energized for what lies ahead and to be on this journey with this group of people. If you are building to transform healthcare - we must meet. Cc Chris Bischoff Kenneth C. Frazier Elena Viboch Caitlin Donovan Reva Nohria Candace Richardson Alexandre Momeni Tyler Olkowski Pranay Orugunta Rachit N. Dylan S. #VentureBeyond #GlobalResilience #HealthAssurance #AppliedAI #Startups #VentureCapital

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