Emi Alexander

This San Franciscan has landed in the Big Apple for #NYTechWeek! Here’s why it was important to me to be out here this week and I view NYC as a sister city. ((scroll down for 2 events The Council is hosting today!)) 🏭🏥 Reminder: The Council Fund invests at Pre-seed in Software’s Third Act, the transformation of the essential economy. Our investments span healthcare and industrial sectors like manufacturing, logistics, construction. 🐂 I’m eternally bullish on NY & SF and hate how many pit the two cities against each other. The reality is that a lot of capital and talent flow back and forth between the cities. They need each other to thrive! 🗽🌁 Cities like NY & SF attract young and mid-career talent because of their population density, transient nature, beauty, and reputations as cities where someone new on the scene can make a name for themselves. For the areas we invest in, I’m *specifically* excited about NY because of: 🏗️ Closer proximity to industrial hubs which are scattered across the Midwest / Rust Belt 🏛️ Closer proximity to DC where a lot of regulation around VC, startups, healthcare, onshoring initiatives, and industrial sectors takes place 💰 Many of the large financial institutions that are backing hard tech focused funds and major healthcare initiatives are also headquartered here in NYC 🎯 We’ve got several startups here who are hitting it out of the park, like Dirac and Siena. This has further validated my belief in this ecosystem to support young companies! Today we are kicking off with 2 events on Day 1 of #NYTechWeek 👉 AI Demo Day: The Council, Next Wave NYC, Lynx Collective, Flybridge will host 8 founders and 200+ investors and founders for a pitch competition this evening! Luma: https://lnkd.in/gbdYiJMw 🔜 Can still join the waitlist! Small & Big VCs in Hard Tech: The Council joined General Catalyst, Lux Capital, Iron Prairie Ventures, AlleyCorp, House Of Ventures, Steel Atlas for 2 back to back panels on industrial innovation & collaboration across the capital stack Luma: https://lnkd.in/gj6D4-Au ⏰ Event has passed

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By building a more inclusive investing landscape, we can remove often-overlooked barriers to help underserved populations access the wealth-building potential of the capital markets. The Nasdaq Foundation has been working toward this goal by partnering with organizations like Commonwealth to address staggering gaps in market participation, especially in low and middle income Black and Latinx households.    🌟 Today, I’m thrilled to share with you the results of the “Transforming Investor Identity” research project, a national pilot project by Commonwealth with support from the Nasdaq Foundation, that takes a deeper look into investor identity, one of the key barriers to investing for underrepresented communities.    🤝 The findings of this one-year project highlight the experience of more than 850 participants on three leading financial technology partner platforms: Ellevest, Public and Stash.   The insights here are compelling. We’ve learned that: ✅ After just one year of investing, 71% of participants agreed that investing turned out to be easier than they had initially thought. ✅ 61% of participants felt they had more control over their financial future after investing. ✅ Active learning is a keystone for identity building. 77% of those who agreed that they belong used educational tools compared to just 56% who did not feel like they belonged. One of my favorite takeaways was seeing how fast investing identity can shift. For many participants, those early experiences start to “click” after just 6 months, showing how important the early stages of the investing journey can be.    Looking at these findings, it’s clear that investor identity is not just a state of mind, but something that can be cultivated.    With the right tools and education, there is a unique opportunity for us to inspire a new generation of investors, empowering them to have more control over their financial future.   You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/d3QmckPY

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“The most dangerous person in the world is a man that is broken and alone.” This week on the podcast I’m joined by Scott Galloway, a NYU professor, best-selling author, serial entrepreneur, and podcaster. We discuss the multifaceted challenges facing men, the importance of embracing humility, emotional intelligence, education, support, and more. We also discuss the decline of mentorship and community programs for young men, the lack of economic opportunities for young people, the perils of toxic alpha male archetypes, and much more.   https://bit.ly/richroll826 ✌🏼🌱 - Rich

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Technology continues to advance at rapid paces and the adoption of AI and super-intelligence platforms permeates playbooks across all verticals. For me, as a Chief Digital Officer, it is remarkable to have a front row seat to the progression of these systems and…as person of color with a family of color, the demand for application of technology to extended high-quality of life becomes extremely personal and weighs heavily. Underserved communities, both domestic and foreign, continue to suffer from a lack of health care systems, the availability of organized information and the increasing mandate for trained/experienced professionals that understand the locale. As people of color and minority-dense geographies of all nationalities continue to struggle with escalated rates of diabetes, various cancers, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other common medical killers…advancements in biotechnology and genetic research must continue accelerate and become widely available. This is why it is so remarkable to watch Dr. Nathan Price , in concert with the renowned Buck Institute for Research on Aging intentionally focus digital innovation on the intelligence of health with a global focus. I am thrilled to see this announcement and congratulations Dr. Price on a tremendous mission to impact generational health and the quality of life! - M #minorityhealth #healthcareAI

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Taking a moment to celebrate my friend Arthur Matuszewski. The first time I met Arthur was in a meeting at Bridgewater Associates that he hosted to arrange a hiring event in NYC pointed at bankers. It was the most organized meeting I had seen in 3 months post joining. The meeting had a stated purpose and agenda (shocker!) and it was actually being covered in an orderly way. (Largely thanks to Angela M.--love you Angie!) I was just attracted to Arthur's magnetic energy, creativity, enthusiasm for life. Meeting Arthur for anybody is like a confetti bomb going off in a room. Anybody that knows Arthur once knows him forever because he is the type of person you just never want to let go. He's empathetic, insightful, and naturally supports anybody he encounters. He has as semi-permeable boundary between self love and love of the whole world and everybody in it. To be in a relationship with Arthur is a channel to being in relationship with everything that is good about the universe. This is the essence for why Arthur is beloved by so many. Anyway, Arthur publicly launched a new company. It's called Carrara. He launched it with many other wonderful partners--many of whom I know and respect. Special call out to Lucy M. who got on the the train ride or die with Arthur on day zero. Carrara works with venture backed companies on talent strategy and recruiting--using various engagement models. Carrara made a dope website. https://lnkd.in/eJxpC5Fc On this dope website, they link to some interesting articles and if you want to blow off a day of work and read up on career development, recruiting, organization building, culture creation, the link has a curated list. If you don't know Arthur yet, you can click his name up there and send him a ping. It might be the most meaningful thing you do today. Love you, Arthur! Didn't know what I was gonna write, but this is what my fingers told me to do!

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✉ Reminder: Don't miss stories like this and exclusive reporting in my free family office newsletter, Officium! Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eq8TZ4RK #familyoffices #assetmanagement #alternativeinvestments

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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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We recently completed our eighth investors roundtable working with our friends at CTLR (Cleantech Leaders Roundtable). We had a great roster that included: - Arash Nazhad, Moelis & Company - C. Ryan Dalton, Warburg Pincus LLC - Jo Trahms, Raymond James We covered a wide range of topics. But no matter the question asked or answer given, these folks always impressed me with the breadth of their perspective. I will be posting video shorts of this roundtable over the coming weeks. Below are three highlights of the conversation from each investor. 11:03 - Arash highlighted three major trends he's closely watching: The rapid rise in load growth, largely driven by AI, data centers, and the potential hydrogen economy; the funding gap for cleantech companies trying to scale up, where fewer growth equity funds are available for capital-intensive projects; and the ongoing consolidation in the industry as companies seek the scale needed to meet increasing demands. 29:49 - Ryan notes that while it's difficult to predict all the potential impacts of the upcoming election, much of the IRA funding is focused on creating manufacturing jobs, particularly in red southeastern states. Certain types of policy support, such as those for EVs or solar, might face changes, but job-related incentives are likely to remain due to bipartisan support. He believes the IRA has been successful so far, with a noticeable increase in domestic manufacturing of batteries and solar components. However, the full scale of its success depends on how much capital is ultimately raised. 36:00 - Jo believes that with capitalism, certain industries will inevitably emerge as winners. She highlights the unexpectedly rapid decline in renewable energy costs, a trend she expects to continue across the cleantech sector. While not every innovation will succeed, she stresses that a true clean revolution will only happen if it's both profitable and a sound business strategy. https://lnkd.in/eM5vUnMU

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6/26/2024, Plainfield, NJ The Trolls of Wall Street: How the Outcasts and Insurgents Are Hacking the Markets Hardcover – June 11, 2024 by Nathaniel Popper (Author) Nathaniel Popper $32.50 352 pages HarperCollins Publishers Sienna Estrada https://a.co/d/0bQb9yqq 1. Summary The narrative centers around key figures like Jaime Rogozinski and Jordan Zazzara, who, despite not fitting the mold of conventional financial power players, managed to turn WallStreetBets into a cultural phenomenon. This subreddit, known for its risky financial trading strategies and irreverent memes, became a hub for young investors disillusioned with traditional financial systems. Popper's book captures the essence of this movement, highlighting how it harnessed the power of memes and trolling to create a new kind of online community that resonated with a generation struggling to find its place in the world. 2. Themes and Analysis Popper's work is deeply reported and fast-paced, offering a suspenseful story of individuals who made and lost fortunes while battling for power and status both within their community and against Wall Street. The book is not just a financial thriller but also a sobering reflection on how millions of young Americans have become obsessed with money and the markets. It explores the broader implications of this obsession on finance, politics, and popular culture, suggesting a lasting influence that extends beyond mere market movements. 3. Critical Reception The book has been well-received for its thorough research and engaging writing style. Reviews highlight its ability to provide a revealing look at the inner workings of WallStreetBets and its impact on the financial world. However, some critics argue that it does not fully address the systemic issues and market manipulations by hedge funds and big players that drove young investors to such extremes. 4. Conclusion "The Trolls of Wall Street" is a compelling read for anyone interested in understanding the intersection of internet culture and financial markets. Popper's insightful storytelling sheds light on a unique and transformative moment in modern financial history, making it a valuable addition to the discourse on market dynamics and the power of online communities. #The_Trolls_of_Wall_Street #PlainfieldNJ How WallStreetBets REALLY Started! https://lnkd.in/e9Z-7fFK

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As an investor who moved from New York to South Florida two years ago, I’m often asked about the tech ecosystem here. After spending much of my time in the region since then, one thing is abundantly clear: 📈 The tech ecosystem in the region is growing - and rapidly. More and more founders and investors are operating from South Florida. In addition to me, Alpaca VC has two full-time team members based here, David Goldberg and Sophia Delgado. We also maintain a regional growth tracker that currently sits at 150+ GPs and counting. And the growth is not limited to Miami. We’re seeing the presence of founders and funders stretch throughout the Tri-County area, from Miami Beach to Palm Beach. Amid the growth, we’ve had the chance to connect with many people from the South Florida tech landscape during our Venture, Tech & Capital Markets dinner series (we’ll likely continue this fall). From conversations at those events, it’s clear most people in the ecosystem agree that the growth is obvious and palpable. Here are a few stats to back up the anecdotal: 🌴Miami (and surrounding area) jumped 7 places in 2024 in Startup Genome’s ranking of global startups ecosystems to become 16th on the list ahead of Chicago, Seattle, Austin and San Diego and Atlanta, as well as Delhi, Sao Paulo, and Toronto. Notably, while Miami is not in the top 10 (yet) it had the most growth year-over-year. ☀️Three of the top 10 investors from the recently released Midas Seed List 2024 (which Forbes and TrueBridge Capital Partners started in 2022 and ranks Top 25 seed stage investors globally) reside in Miami-Dade County. 📊There are more than 3.3K funded companies, 373 investors and nearly 140K startup employees in the region, according to the Refresh Miami Innovation Ecosystem dashboard. No surprise: we continue to be super excited about the South Florida tech ecosystem, so much so that we’ve chosen it as the location for our 2025 AGM in January, which will coincide with a massive ecosystem event we will be sharing details about soon. Check out the comments for the links to the sources above and get in touch if you’re an investor or founder in the ecosystem interested in upcoming events and opportunities to connect. #venturecapital #southflorida #miamitech

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We’re pleased to share Edelman Smithfield's investor pulse research, “Investor Expectations for a U.S. IPO Market Recovery.” The results of this timely survey of 100+ institutional investors paint a clear picture of expectations for a U.S. IPO market that is poised for recovery, as well as notable parameters that investors are using to evaluate high-quality investments. Download the full report: https://lnkd.in/gyPNeBnY

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The latest ETF Central #podcast with Matt Kaufman, CETF®of Calamos Investments (brought to you by the NYSE) is a must listen to! #etfs #thehomeofetfs #etf

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Feeling privileged to be part of legacy that has helped shape modern New York and the banking industry. This article captures the essence of our journey. Give it a read!

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Exciting new research out from Edelman Smithfield today! “Investor Expectations for a U.S. IPO Market Recovery” The results of this timely survey of 100+ institutional investors paint a clear picture of expectations for a U.S. IPO market that is poised for recovery, as well as notable parameters that investors are using to evaluate high-quality investments. Download the full report: https://lnkd.in/em6FY5FD

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New AI Street out tomorrow 🤖 🛣️ -- I interview Bain's Richard Lichtenstein on AI adoption in PE -- discuss Manish Jha's research on how ChatGPT beats market forecasts, predicting CapEx-linked stock declines. -- highlight Rogo raising ~$18M for its AI financial analyst platform Plus, more coverage of AI in trading, investing, and banking. 👉 Get AI Street in your inbox tomorrow at 11:30 EST. Subscribe below. #AIinFinance #FinTech #ai #investing #AIstreet

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NY Tech Week has been exhilarating, dynamic, diverse, and inspiring! So many organic connections were made between investors, founders, and rising change-makers, and we learned so much about the current landscape and the future of innovation. The Fourth Effect, in partnership with EisnerAmper, hosted a vibrant panel discussion "Let's Talk About Boards" at Savills with uplifting expert speakers Mina E. Black and Caroline McCaffery. The Fourth Effect founders Breen Sullivan and Katrin de Haën are on a mission to empower female & minority executives to advise on governance boards and contribute their wealth of knowledge to the world by connecting them with startups seeking to establish boards and scale. So many founders in particular attended this event, and from the lively discussion afterwards, it's clear we all walked away thinking a whole lot more about the importance of proactivity, diversity & inclusion, and expertise when establishing company boards. AcceleratorCON, New York City Economic Development Corporation, and Civic Hall co-hosted the panel "Reimagining Accelerators for Tomorrow's Startups." Especial focus was given to tailoring accelerator programming to the startup cohort's unique skills and needs, peer-to-peer learning, intentional considerations to engage diverse founders, industry-agnostic accelerators, follow-on support and investor networks, as well as the rise of pre-accelerator accelerators. So much great info was shared at this event! My friends at Kaplak Ventures hosted a climate tech demo night at Brown Rudnick LLP on Times Square, where we heard enthusiastic pitch presentations from a diverse cohort of startups, from deep tech to arts-based solutions, including aich2, carbogenics, TeamStack.ai, Tesleon LLC, and Tolam Earth. Copenhagen-based Kaplak Ventures just partnered with New Haven-based climate incubator ClimateHaven to host the 3-month ReGen Accelerator program for seed-stage startups addressing the climate issues of today. I was especially touched by Kaplak's "Dreams & Details" model of leadership coaching and presentation, and am continually inspired by all the great work happening in the climate innovation ecosystem from Boston to New Haven to NYC. #NYTechWeek #NYC #NewHaven #Innovation #InnovationEcosystem #Startup #VentureCapital #Boards #Advisors #Accelerators #Climate #ClimateTech #TechWeek

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In an exclusive series by MobiHealthNews, we explore the evolving digital health investment landscape from various stakeholders’ perspectives. In the first installment of this eight-part series, Daisy Wolf, investing partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z Bio + Health), shares her expert perspective, highlighting the sector's potential and offering strategic advice for founders. Click the link below to check out part one of the investment series and stay tuned for part two coming out on Thursday! #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #AIinHealthcare #HealthTech #InvestmentStrategy #digitalhealthinvestment #MobiHealthNews #AndreessenHorowitz HIMSS HIMSS Media

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Attention early-stage founders raising – excited to announce open applications for PEERLESS 2025! Led by AlleyCorp and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, curated programming will culminate in 5 founders pitching at Google's NYC headquarters in April, where one winner will receive a $1M investment from AlleyCorp. This isn't only about creating a more equitable tech ecosystem, it's about backing the next generation of exceptional founders who are uniquely positioned to shape the future. Applications opened on October 15th and close on December 6th 2024. While they welcome all early-stage founders with exceptional ideas, AlleyCorp is encouraging applications from startups that: Have raised less than $2M Are technologically innovative Have a strong go-to-market advantage Have identified a large market opportunity Are led by Black, Latine, Native American, or female founders All applicants will be invited to various ecosystem events with top founders and VCs. Learn more and start your application at peerlesspitch.com. #startups #funding #competition Meredith Meyer Grelli Melanie Simko

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In August, I had the privilege of representing America’s Frontier Fund and speaking at the Quad Critical & Emerging Technology Forum hosted by the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵 by the University of Tokyo, RCAST. It was a hugely productive few days of cross-sector discussion on how to best foster collaboration across the Quad. In my remarks, I emphasized where we believe there is fundamental opportunity to forge shared opportunity and reinforcing outcomes: 💡 Collaborate to Compete - Japan is quickly growing as a startup ecosystem (10x increase in startup funding in just the last 10 years), Indian startups have raised nearly $4 billion in deep tech over the same period, while Australia is attracting major corporate and government investments - prioritizing shared focus areas could yield transformative technologies and a thriving ecosystem from quantum to AI through initial collaboration that blossoms into rules-based competition. 🏛 Harmonize Government-Aligned Capital - Forging alignment between partnered governments in focus areas will further enable shared resources, infrastructure, and drive earlier customer adoption. By focusing on shared areas of interest and harmonizing government catalytic funding to support ecosystem development, the Quad can transform deep tech development and entrepreneurship. 🇺🇸 🇮🇳 🇦🇺 🇯🇵 Shared value will be created through shared goals - the Quad has an opportunity to transform deep tech development in the Indo-Pacific and, ultimately, the world. 🌏 Quad Investors Network | The Australian National University | Observer Research Foundation | Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies | Daisuke Kawai | Jeffrey Payne | Jennifer J. | Anirban Sarma | Akira Igata

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