Elisa Schreiber

🌟Innovative VC Firm Overcomes Exits Drought with Secondary Sales🌟 ⛵Navigating a challenging landscape where exits are scarce, Santa Barbara Venture Partners (SBVP) has pioneered a novel approach to sustain its growth and attract investors for its second fund: secondary sales. Instead of waiting for traditional exits like IPOs or acquisitions, SBVP opted to sell shares of its portfolio companies, demonstrating its ability to generate returns for investors and stand out in a competitive market. 🎤According to Dan Engel, founder and managing partner of SBVP, these secondary transactions have been a game-changer, sparking investor interest and bolstering the firm's credibility. By leveraging its recent successes, including a lucrative stake in sports-betting company DraftKings Inc.' acquisition of digital lottery app Jackpocket, SBVP seized the opportunity to return profits to its limited partners (LPs) and pave the way for its second fund. 💡Engel highlighted the challenges faced by young VC firms in raising subsequent funds, particularly amid a downturn in exit activity and heightened investor scrutiny. With traditional exit routes becoming increasingly elusive, the pressure is on for firms to demonstrate tangible returns and establish a track record of success. ✨"For us, secondary sales have been a game-changer. They've helped us return profits to our LPs and attract investors for our second fund," said Dan Engel. 💰For SBVP, the decision to pursue secondary sales was driven by the need to provide liquidity to LPs and validate its investment thesis in the eyes of prospective investors. By strategically offloading portions of its holdings in high-performing portfolio companies like Bark Technologies and Rad AI, SBVP not only generated substantial returns but also bolstered investor confidence in its ability to deliver results. ⚠Despite the complexities and potential stigma associated with early share sales, Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing investor returns and seizing opportunities to unlock value for stakeholders. With a focus on profitability and transparency, SBVP remains committed to its mission of delivering sustainable growth and maximizing returns for its LPs. 🔍 "Returning profits to our investors is our top priority. By strategically selling shares, we're proving our commitment to delivering results and driving value for our stakeholders," added Engel. As SBVP continues to explore secondary transactions and expand its investor base, the firm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience in the face of market challenges. 🚀 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VCInnovation #SecondarySalesSuccess #InvestorReturns #ValueCreation 

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Having a Cars and Capital event tomorrow in Southern California with Oren Klaff. If you want to join message me. https://lnkd.in/gDQ4D39u Oren Klaff Bridger Pennington #InvestorEvent #FamilyOffice #InvestmentOpportunity #CarlsbadEvent #PrivateEquity #WealthManagement #InvestmentConference #CapitalRaising #NetworkingEvent #IndustryLeaders #FinancialGrowth #InvestorsMeetup #WealthBuilding #BusinessGrowth #InvestmentForum

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Still feeling energized from last week's roundtable on building successful relationships with hospitals. We invited 7 portfolio companies and health system leaders from Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai and UCLA Health. The founders shared their questions ranging from the strategic to the nuts and bolts of closing partnerships. For example, how do you determine what measures of effectiveness help drive alignment? And how do you get all the stakeholders together to actually drive a decision. Answer: put them all in a room for half a day! “I think we're in a pivotal moment regarding how we assess AI. There are numerous risks currently dominating AI discussions, particularly those concerning bias and other associated risks. However, there's a notable absence of focus on evaluating the proactive value of AI. We need to consider what AI actually offers and what we want it to offer. It's not solely about determining whether it will cause harm; people are apprehensive about how this technology will be implemented. One perspective gaining traction involves ensuring the product's validation process is robust enough to prevent risks to various populations.” -Vladimir Manuel, Medical Director at UCLA Health From Vlad's comments above to perspectives others shared, we heard a sense of excitement for the promise of #AI and other new technologies. But we're also in a unique moment where the risks are not well understood. Still much to do here.

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Hiring the right sales, marketing, and CX leaders is incredibly challenging, especially for early-stage startups. Check out our ElevenX Talent's Janine O'Neill (she/her) and Dan Hurwitz discuss all things GtM hiring in this awesome podcast. Some great wisdom nuggets in this one. Watch the full episode, now live at howtounfuckyourstartup.com

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🏢 Big Moves in SF Commercial Real Estate! Intuit & Capital One 🏢 Two major financial firms are making strategic relocations within San Francisco: - Capital One is reducing its office space by two-thirds, moving from 201 3rd St. to 40,000 sq. ft. at 100 California St. This deal includes significant improvements to the new location, enhancing tenant experiences with new outdoor spaces and on-site amenities. - Intuit is downsizing from 200,000 sq. ft. at 22 4th St. to 36,500 sq. ft. at 505 Howard St. The move aims to leverage San Francisco's diverse talent pool while optimizing their workspace for future growth. These moves highlight the dynamic nature of SF's commercial real estate market and the need for adaptable, strategic office solutions. At Resource, we specialize in guiding companies through such transitions, ensuring seamless relocations and optimized space utilization. 🔗 Discover more about our tailored real estate services: yourresource.com #SFRealEstate #CommercialRealEstate #CapitalOne #Intuit #OfficeRelocation #RealEstateStrategy #ResourceCRE

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It was wonderful to be in conversation with Madison Mills of Yahoo Finance at their annual Invest conference earlier this week. We covered everything from the venture outlook for 2025, impact of elections on women's health investing and innovation, and more. Full clip and summary below 👇 https://lnkd.in/gS67sc2Y

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“Be quick, but don’t hurry.” John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach coined that phrase, and this week will offer interesting opportunities to watch pros applying it: the NBA Playoffs, yes, but also SF Climate Week. I’ve been thinking about how to apply the proper balance of patience and urgency to the climate fight. First, what does Wooden’s advice mean? Prolific basketball scorers will often talk about the need to “let the game come to you.” In other words be aggressive, move with purpose, probe for openings… but not to the point where you are hurrying into the teeth of the defense and in so doing making careless mistakes or missing the right play. The notion of patience also applies over time. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers famously talked a few seasons ago (in a very impatient sports town) about trusting “The Process” in turning the league’s worst team into one of its enduring best. Back to climate. While hundreds of functional technologies/approaches are being deployed in thousands of ways across all industries to draw down emissions, it will take time we don’t really have — maybe a generation — to scale up these new methods enough to keep us under the warming levels above which really bad things happen. It can be depressing, and I’m certainly not alone in wanting to push harder. But it occurs to me that some of that urgency could qualify as hurrying in Coach Wooden’s sense. This (possibly contrarian?) perspective comes in part from an executive coach who once reflected that I sometimes struck him as having “both the gas and brake pushed down all the way.” He—and my team it turned out—experienced a grinding between my inner drive to quickly usher everything from decisions to workstreams through to conclusion and a desire to gather more information and make the perfect set of moves. Both “pedals” represented an exertion of control; and the solution to this inner tension was actually to practice patience by easing up with *both* feet. Point being this: amidst our ever-increasing incentives to ramp up velocity with decreasing margins for error, I wonder if being a bit more methodical each day could significantly improve the end result. In a realm as complex and fraught as climate, with so many entrenched defenses, could daily 1% improvements to our patience compound our effectiveness over time? Taking the extra breath to be more present in a conversation and learn more about another perspective. Sitting with the discomfort of ambiguity while waiting on more information. Trusting in the flow of things, the skills of colleagues, the angles that will appear and allow us to make outsized impact with more leverage than if we hadn’t allowed the game come to us. Think about it this week. As a hoops fans or climate warrior, a connector or caretaker — where and how could a little more patience help improve your part of the game? #ClimateChange #Sustainability #EarthDay #Improvement https://lnkd.in/gmyV3DYt

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Check out the latest issue of my investor-focused newsletter Not From Concentrate!

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A big part of making AI usable is enabling testing to provide the necessary assurance that outputs make sense. Distributional is leading this capability.

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Earlier this year, we surveyed our fellow Los Angeles-based GPs to get a pulse check on the LA venture ecosystem. Here’s what we found: 💗 Deal flow is healthy, and most LA venture investors (68%) are seeing the same or more deal flow YoY. ✈ LA investors are spending time in a variety of markets, with NYC, Austin, and SF following closely on LA’s heels. 🔍 Innovation is concentrated in AI and machine learning, space, and commerce. 💸 Funding is happening, but it’s barbell-shaped, with deals concentrated at the early and late stages. Funding post-Series A has been challenging. 🚩 LA is differentiated, but not without its challenges. Key difficulties include not attracting enough AI talent (despite having the largest number of engineers graduating from our region over any other in the United States); talent relocated to more tax-friendly or less expensive locations; and the great SoCal / NoCal divide 🙏 Thank you to all our many respondents! I’m so glad to be part of a venture ecosystem that includes great minds like Anna Barber, Brent Murri, W. Christine Choi, Sarah Tomolonius, Rob Smith, Win Chevapravatdumrong, John Tabis, Jill Royster, Jesse Draper, Ashley Balla, Britt Danneman, Tram Lai, Carmen Palafox, Elaine Russell, Deborah Benton Amanda Schutzbank, Brian Lee, Petra Griffith, Minnie Ingersoll, Shamin Walsh, Gabe Greenbaum...wow, this list could go on forever...plus too many other exceptional humans to name. You know who you are! Explore our findings more deeply with our survey dashboard: https://bit.ly/3JsaLaB

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✨ Elevating Consciousness, One Leader at a Time ✨ 🧠 Mental health investors, entrepreneurs, advisors, and advocates: As a proud board member of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), I’m deeply committed to educating current healers and future leaders to create more compassionate, inclusive, and impactful communities. I’m delighted to spotlight an inspiring interview with Kini Chang, LMFT, Chair of the Community Mental Health Program at CIIS. In this piece, Kini highlights the transformative potential of community mental health (CMH) and the vital role it plays in addressing mental health challenges in marginalized communities. Did you know? Community mental health services have been a cornerstone of equitable care since the Community Mental Health Act of 1963. From that shift away from institutionalization to today’s integrated approaches, CMH graduates are now stepping into leadership roles in community-based organizations, bridging gaps in care with empathy and expertise. Mental health is a critical frontier, with 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiencing mental illness annually. In a world grappling with rapid societal change, lingering pandemic effects, and a growing mental health crisis, leaders like Kini—and the students she mentors—are essential to shaping a better future. 🔗 Curious to learn more about how CIIS is preparing professionals to drive this change? Check out the full article featuring Kini’s insights—click the link in the comments below! 👏 Well done to S Brock Blomberg Chip B. Goldstein, EdD and the team. #MentalHealth #Leadership #CommunityWellness #CIIS #EducationForImpact #PsychologyMatters #ElevateConsciousness

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🌱 I recently spoke on a panel at the Future of Protein Production event in Chicago. 🗣 I was on a panel talking about food systems transformation with Aleh Manchuliantsau, Founder and CEO of PLANETARIANS, Fengru L., CEO and Co-Founder of TurtleTree, and Alex Shirazi, Co-Founder and Director of the Cultivated Meat Symposium. 🎙 Listen to a recent episode of The Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano to learn more about the event. The link is in the comments. #foodsystemstransformation #futureofproteinproduction #diversifiedproteins

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🚀 Exciting News! 🚀 We’re thrilled to announce new investment partnerships with Prospero Capital Ventures, BrightSol LLC, and S30Build, LLC  that will power NOTICENINJA’s next phase of growth and market expansion! This investment from Prospero and partners, with their deep expertise in the staffing industry, is a major boost for our mission to revolutionize tax automation and compliance management. Together, we’re set to transform notice management for companies, making compliance simpler, smarter, and more efficient. Read our latest press release for all the details! #NoticeNinja #Investment #Growth #TaxAutomation #FounderStories #ComplianceSolutions #ProsperoCapitalVentures

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❤️ I’ll never forget when I first met John Majeski. ThrowbackThursday 🛗 John was a judge at the Long Beach Accelerator Joy Fairbanks Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) Octane OC. 💥 Like a lot of startups over the past four years, fund raising has been difficult. 😷 I founded facil.ai April 2020. Right at the start of the COVID pandemic. 🦄 😎 🎼 🛡️💥😤🦄 I’m a seven time, serial entrepreneur, startup founder. This is the (backwards) startup playbook: FUND💰BUILD🛠️ GROW📈EXIT🦄 This works sometimes, but the reality is that you give up something for the ease afforded by raising millions of dollars of VC funding: 🪓You give up CONTROL. The reality is most startup founders are not at all in control of their own destiny.⛓️ It’s happened to me. 🔪 2x 💥😤 I learned that if you’re NOT: 1) The founding CEO AND 2) The majority shareholder 😬 “You’re just another person with an opinion!” 🤬 🌪️ So I came into facil.ai with a completely different mindset. 💣💥DISRUPTION #FMRebel 🗿🕹️And firmly in CONTROL of my own destiny! 😘Initially we were focused on a market which (I thought) I knew extremely well: 🛍️ Retailers With 200-2,000+ sites. But our solution wasn’t resonating with these customers. 👿 Now retailers don’t get MAD at me? I LOVE YA! ❤️ But reality only a few of you really seem interested in autonomous AI optimization! ✅💰Even though we’re saving retailers like you $250K+ a month! With enhanced comfort. 😬 So we started focusing on, and there’s really no other way to put this, “Everything BUT retail”. 😱 🎓 University 🖥️ Data Center 🩺 Hospitals 🛒 Grocery 🍔 Fast food QSR 🕋 Commercial/PropTech ⚡️ County/Municipal 😀 And it paid off. 👺 Some predicted we’d run out of money. 🤑 Happy to disappoint you! 😴💤🥱 Sorry. 🙏🏼 I digress. Back to my story about how I met John‼️ 🫣 With this pivot I’m worried because I’m thinking we’ve got to open up a pre-seed round of VC financing. 🆒 We had raised about $1.5M via family and friends. Now here I am pitching for $6M VC investment w/ a pre money valuation of $18M. 🦄➕💰💰🤑 🟰 😫 Doing the math, any experienced startup founder knows what this could mean?! 🥵😳 👥 John comes up and says "Hi Keith. Let's take a picture together.” 🚀 “Keith, you have a great company, and I’d write you a check, but I'd have to TAKE more of your company than you’d probably like. And that’s not a great outcome. For either of us! 👎🏼 So I’m going to pass! 🌈 But I encourage you to keep doing what you're doing. And let's connect in about a year from now.” 🦄 John Majeski was right ❤️ Our customers love us! He has joined our team as interim CTO and we’re thrilled to be in conversations with several large infrastructure companies as partners or acquirers. 🙏🏼 Thank you my friend! 🚀 facil.ai is proud to be a Portola Valley Partners portfolio company. BUILD🛠️GROW📈FUND💰EXIT🦄 [email protected] #venturecapital #innovation #future #technology #leadership

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Team San Diego! I though you may find this as surprising as I did...we are not alone. Read this quick article from Jon Prentice's (Silicon Valley Bank) interview with with James Newell (Voyager Capital), published in GeekWire on Seattle's innovation ecosystem....they lament the SAME issues as we do in San Diego: * Lack of angel investors, (Especially, it calls out, given the local giant tech co's) * "We need low-conviction check writers." * Lack of "cachet associated with being an angel investor" - We have similar efforts (as described in the article) to drum up angel activity: NuFund Venture Group and, Interlock Capital (read the article and you'll see why the Interlock effort is tops as relates to "paying back into the ecosystem") Connect.org strives to 'connect' innovative companies with investors of all types (angel, VC, PE...) - just see "Innovation Day". Their Springboard program provides another great way for experienced entrepreneurs to give back through mentorship...as for the companies going through Springboard: "Ask for advice, and you often get $$" Your thoughts on the article or San Diego innovation ecosystem? https://lnkd.in/gfwq6mfq

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Introducing Stephan Little, a pioneer in entrepreneurship, investment, and mergers and acquisitions, who will be joining the AI Panel at the California Investment Forum in Anaheim, CA, on May 8-11. Steve's journey as a serial entrepreneur began at a young age, and he has since scaled six startups to private nine-figure acquisitions and raised over $2 billion in startup and growth funding for businesses across various industries. As the founder and managing director of Zero Limits Ventures and Zero Limits Capital, Steve has become renowned for generating accelerated value growth and delivering extraordinary acquisition value multiples for his portfolio companies and clients. With a keen eye for unique opportunities and a track record of identifying untapped potential, Steve has mastered the art of spotting valuation growth where others may not. In this introduction video, Steve highlighted the transformative power of AI in three distinct areas. Firstly, he touched on the creation and development of AI and generative tools, which are reshaping industries. Secondly, he delved into AI's practical applications within enterprises, emphasizing how integrating AI can dramatically enhance productivity and growth, ultimately increasing value for entrepreneurs. The third area Steve discussed was the middle ground of AI implementation, which presents an exciting opportunity for companies lacking in-house expertise. This gap in the market suggests a burgeoning demand for external AI knowledge and solutions, which can rapidly propel a company forward. AI is accelerating at an extraordinary pace and significantly impacting market dynamics. As an "older statesman" in the tech world, Steve expressed his excitement about being part of this "big bubble" of innovation. Join us at the California Investment Forum to hear Steve's insights and expertise on AI deployment, bridging the gap between generic AI models and task-specific enterprise applications. Learn how we can harness the power of AI to drive competitiveness, efficiency, and growth, improve productivity, and enhance business values in the next decade. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's most respected visionaries and game-changers. #AI #CIF Daniel Sieu Darlene Bryant (Chiu)

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🛍️ Retailers: you can say goodbye to excess inventory headaches! Ganas Ventures is proud to invest in LiquiDonate, the tech that makes it happen, in community. Disney Petit, MBA, and the LiquiDonate team are transforming how retailers manage returns and inventory sustainably. Get in touch with Disney to learn more. #circulareconomy

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Today's Boring Biz (# 102): Children's Entertainment Center - $300K Cashflow - California Note: We do not represent this deal, highlighting for informational purposes only for viewers What does the company do? 1. Indoor playspace and party center 2. Birthday party hosting 3. Established franchise location Investment highlights 1. 17+ years in operation 2. Diverse revenue streams 3. Located in high-traffic shopping mall Investment risks/concerns 1. High local competition 2. Liability and injury insurance 3. Limitations from franchise network #SMB #ETA #finance #Cashflow #investing #search #searchfund #privateequity #microprivateequity #smallbusiness #venturecapital #vc #entrepreneur #business #businessowner #children #entertainment #center #california Disclaimer: Hypothetical and illustrative only. Please do your own research (DYOR) or work with tax and legal professionals before making a decision. This video are intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice, nor should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by SMB PE LLC or any third party.

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Navigating the VC landscape in San Diego? Discover firms that not only invest but also mentor and guide startups to success. Here's a snapshot: - Salesforce Ventures - Specializing in enterprise software. Founded by Halsey Minor, Marc Benioff, & Parker Harris. 🌐 - Versant Ventures - A beacon for biotech, founded by Barbara Lubash & co. 🧬 Healthcare & Biotech focus. 📈 - QED Investors - Fintech frontrunners, by Caribou Honig, Frank Rotman, & Nigel Morris. 💳 - HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH Capital - Supports startups to growth-stage companies across sectors. Founded by Manuel A. Henriquez & team. 📈 - Correlation Ventures - Co-investing champions in the US, initiated by Trevor Kienzle & David Coats. 🔍 - JMI Equity - Growth-stage software investment specialists. Established by Charles Noell & Harry Gruner. 💻 - Anzu Partners - Life science, manufacturing, and materials innovators, started by Michael David & co. 🔬 - Saltagen Ventures - Early-stage biotech focus, founded by Joseph F.. 🌏 NA and Asia. 📈 🌟 Whether you're seeking capital, mentorship, or operational expertise, these VC firms offer diverse opportunities for startups in various stages and industries. Full article here: https://lnkd.in/gpgkRHU3 👉 Looking to raise funding? Explore more about these firms and find your perfect match. #VCs #Startups #SanDiego #Innovation #Tech #SoCal

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