Ya Tuo’s Post

I am deeply honored to be recognized and I am incredibly humbled to share the spotlight with such amazing people. While I am very thankful, the recognition serves as a powerful motivator because I still feel like I have accomplished absolutely nothing... That said, I am very grateful to the National Venture Capital Association (and our fantastic comms team at Revolution 😊). However, I want to make one thing extremely clear: it is not about me and it never will be. Those of you who have been following my updates on LinkedIn may have noticed my recent long-form features about founders in the D.C. area. My intention behind these stories is to challenge the prevailing narrative in venture that often places the investors at the forefront, rather than the founders. But founders are the heroes and need to be at the center of the conversation. And my commitment is to consistently place them at the heart of every conversation. Our job is simple: stay out of their way, and, if we can, improve their odds of success whenever and however possible. I am immensely grateful to the founders who have trusted me and the teams that I have been a part of, allowing us to play a small, yet hopefully valuable, role in their entrepreneurial journeys. I also want to extend gratitude to all of my colleagues, peers, mentors, family, and friends who challenge me to be the best version of myself that I can be. Jobs not finished (nor will it ever be). LETS GO !!!! 

🥁 It’s time for a big drum roll… we are excited to announce First Close Partners as the recipient of NVCA’s 2024 #DEI Impact Award! This award, chosen in collaboration with Venture Forward, recognizes an individual, organization, or firm who has made a significant impact toward advancing a more #diverse, #equitable, and #inclusive (#DEI) #venture ecosystem.    First Close Partners has established itself as an important community and capital source to underrepresented managers. It has made LP commitments to over 100 VC funds, as part of its investment thesis that both seasoned and emerging underrepresented managers have the potential to deliver outsize returns.   First Close Partner’s industry leadership, as well as its support of Venture Forward programs, exemplifies the spirit of the DEI Impact Award, and we are proud to recognize its efforts in driving positive change within the industry. 🤲   Register now to help honor First Close Partners for its role in creating a more inclusive VC ecosystem. ⬇   https://lnkd.in/gRBbtR6d   #VCAwards #diversity #leadership

🚀 Exciting News: Finpublica & Impact Capital Forum Are Joining Forces 🚀 I'm incredibly proud to share that after nearly two years as a Founding Board Member of Finpublica, we've reached a major milestone! Today we announced our agreement to merge with Impact Capital Forum. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter in our mission to drive sustainable impact. This is more than just a merger – it’s a timely and significant step toward growth, collaboration, and leadership in creating a more sustainable future.  I’m personally excited to see the continued growth of Finpublica and the incredible community of leaders we've built. It’s been an honor to partner with our Founder Adam Wasserman, Brian Mizoguchi (Chair of ICF), and my fellow Board Members Carrie Norton, Greg Parets, and Manoj Panjwani to bring together our two teams and platforms. 🌎💥 Please see the full announcement ⬇️. If you are interested in joining our growing community you may apply through the 🔗 link below.  #SustainableFinance #Impact #CollectiveImpact #Sustainability #Leadership #ImpactInvesting

Diversity not just for the sake of diversity. In this third and final installment on next gen leaders of the new economy, Yinglan Tan of Insignia Ventures Partners – the early-stage technology-focused VC fund with a $1 billion portfolio, including investments in Goto, Appier and Carro – shares that diversity boils down to what a company needs. It is a diversity in backgrounds and skills that drives sustainable innovation with fresh disruptive perspectives. “You need the inventiveness and thoughtfulness of young founders because they take risks…But you need to balance that with grey-hair wisdom.” “One of the things we look for is diversity in skillsets. So rather than chase brand-name board members, we look for functional expertise. Layered over this is a blend of age and gender, and experience in sectors and geography.” Watch below, or click here to read the full article https://lnkd.in/echpezj9 #diverseleadership #leadership #boarddiversity 

“Embracing diversity makes a young tech company more attractive to investors and, ultimately, more likely to succeed. There are few no-brainers in venture capital – this is one of them.” In our latest insight piece "Breaking the mould: the search for fresh talent", Stuart Thompson explores how increasing leadership diversity has become a pressing need, even for early-stage companies. Engaging in a conversation with Cassie Doherty (Investment Director at our EIS fund management business Parkwalk Advisors), and Janet Collyer (Chair at portfolio company Quantum Dice) – both seasoned Non-Executive Directors – Stuart sheds light on the paramount significance of assembling optimal and diverse teams as part of his role in talent searching. Read the full piece here: https://bit.ly/48HcWkJ #BoardDiversity #LeadershipDiversity

Capital alone won’t attract top founders. The best founders look for more than financial backing. They also want: ➡️ Guidance and mentorship. ➡️ Access to a network that can drive growth. And burnishing your reputation in these two areas can bring better deals to your firm. Here’s how: ➡️ Media exposure to showcase your firm’s integrity. ➡️ Thought leadership articles that highlight your expertise. ➡️ Valuable content that addresses the challenges founders face. If you're not showcasing your expertise you're invisible. That means you're missing out on opportunities. Are you positioning your firm as the partner founders seek out?  Are they proactively coming to you? 👉🏻 Hi, I’m Claire. I work with VC companies on PR and thought leadership strategy. Follow for more insights.

Thanks to The Information for including Kauffman Fellows on this prestigious list of fellowships alongside YPO, Henry Crown Fellowship, The Finance Leaders Fellowship, and The Forum of Young Global Leaders. “Since doing Kauffman, I don’t think there’s one international deal in any region where I can’t get to someone who I personally know through Kauffman or one degree of separation through Kauffman,” said Elliott Robinson (Bessemer Venture Partners). For two years, Fellows in the venture-specific program participate in small-group networking, executive coaching and speaker-led sessions on everything from deal flow to firm management. Over three-quarters of the venture capitalists in the Kauffman Fellowship network are partner level or above at their firms. At the end of the program, each Fellow presents a Big Idea to the rest of their class. Christopher Lyons, an Andreessen Horowitz general partner, used his presentation as the basis for the company’s Cultural Leadership Fund, which aims to empower Black stakeholders in technology investing. Kauffman “gave me a lot of initial inspiration to actually move forward and not just create something that was just going to live on paper but could actually be a real project,” said Lyons. Lux Capital’s Deena Shakir, Sozo Ventures’ Koichiro Nakamura, and 1315 Capital’s Adele (Cirone) Oliva are a few more names who’ve passed through the program. You may apply to be a Kauffman Fellow, but getting in is no small feat: Only about 6% of applicants are accepted every year, selected through a rigorous process involving extensive vetting, peer reviews, and diversity considerations. https://lnkd.in/gvp9jzTR

Don't Trust Me. Trust Harvard 👇 Bain & Company identifies three traits of the "founder’s mentality" crucial for long-term success: clear purpose, frontline engagement, and an owner’s mindset. Maintaining this mentality leads to 3.1 times better performance over 15 years. Venture capitalists like Andreesen Horowitz prefer founder-led businesses for their leadership and vision. Current leaders should cultivate a founder’s mentality, emphasizing purpose, engagement, and accountability, as it indicates readiness to innovate and adapt, key for ongoing success. . . #nvidia #nvda #jensenhuang #artificialintelli #aapl #applestock #dividends #tsla #teslastock #dividendgrowthstocks #microsoft #billgates #dividendinvesting #investingeducation #stockstowatch #stockstobuy #stockstohold #stockmarketnews #stockmarket #hustle #nyse #nasdaq #investing101 #stocks #stockstotrade #intelligentinvesting #elonmusk #stevejobs

Don't Trust Me. Trust Harvard 👇 Bain & Company identifies three traits of the "founder’s mentality" crucial for long-term success:  clear purpose, frontline engagement,  and an owner’s mindset. Maintaining this mentality leads to 3.1 times better performance over 15 years. Venture capitalists like Andreesen Horowitz prefer founder-led businesses for their leadership and vision.  Current leaders should cultivate a founder’s mentality, emphasizing purpose, engagement, and accountability, as it indicates readiness to innovate and adapt, key for ongoing success. . . #nvidia #nvda #jensenhuang #artificialintelli #aapl #applestock #dividends #tsla #teslastock #dividendgrowthstocks #microsoft #billgates #dividendinvesting #investingeducation #stockstowatch #stockstobuy #stockstohold #stockmarketnews #stockmarket #hustle #nyse #nasdaq #investing101 #stocks #stockstotrade #intelligentinvesting #elonmusk #stevejobs

Unlocking VC Secrets: Ego and Investment Strategies Revealed! Join us as we delve into the intriguing world of venture capital economics with Nick Davidov. Discover the impact of ego in leadership and explore investment strategies that drive success in high-stakes environments. This insightful discussion is a must-watch for aspiring tech leaders and investors alike! #VentureCapital #Leadership #EgoInLeadership #InvestmentStrategies #TechTalk #StartupLife #EconomicsExplained #NickDavidov #PreSeedFunding #BusinessInsights