The Founders Corner, vol. 2:
Katie Diasti
CEO & Founder @ Viv
Michael Ogunsanya
CEO & Founder @ MindStand
Katie Diasti is the Founder & CEO of Viv, an earth-friendly DTC period care brand bringing plastic-free, toxin-free & biodegradable products direct-to-consumer through a subscription model. Viv will disrupt a $37 billion growing market by targeting Gen-Zers and young millennials that have been neglected by traditional period care brands. Viv is built by Gen-Z eco-conscious menstruators for Gen-Z menstruators.
Michael experienced workplace discrimination firsthand and witnessed the pitfalls HR and D&I leaders face on promoting an inclusive work culture. MindStand AI develops DEI goals for companies based on their internal communication flow.
Ramon Berrios
CEO & Founder @ Trend.io
Ramon also co-founded Cenas Empresariales - an initiative that inspires underprivileged youth in a strikingly difficult economy of Puerto Rico. In addition, Ramon is known for his work in the influencer space and rapidly growth hacking his businesses to $50k/month+ within the first year. Beyond work, Ramon is centered on mindfulness, and is an avid surfer along the beaches of Dorado, PR when not hiking or snowboarding in the mountains of Colorado.
Amaan Jaikishan
CEO & Co-founder @ DashIn
Graduated from Bryant University. DashIn provides an end to end solution for restaurants to redefine in-restaurant dining.
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Anna Melamed
CEO & Co-founder @ FourFront
Our Hosts:
Born in New Orleans, LA and currently based out of Los Angeles, CA, Cole is a member of the investing team at Struck Capital, a rising seed fund focused on providing founder-first capital for innovative entrepreneurs who want to change the world. He focuses on media, entertainment, events, and (e)sports technologies in addition to enterprise/infrastructure SaaS, edtech, and marketplaces. A graduate of Claremont McKenna College, Cole has experience in startups and management consulting, and via his advisory work with the CIE & LA-Tech.org, is committed to the long-term success of the entrepreneurial ecosystems of LA and beyond. Reach out to learn more about his work, and to get plugged into the Roundtable network! Email: cole.mora17@gmail.com
Cole Mora
Investor @ Struck Capital
A senior at UC Berkeley in the Interdisciplinary Studies Field major, Jonathan is completing his degree while serving as a Venture Fellow for New Stack Ventures out of the greater Chicago area. With an expansive interest in economics, history, political science, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and political economics, he is keenly focused on financial strategy and business valuation. Jonathan is a dynamic investor and connector, helping lead the next generation of founder-first VCs. Reach out to learn more about his work, and the Roundtable! Email: jonathan.kendall@berkeley.edu
Jonathan Kendall
Venture Fellow @ New Stack Ventures
💫 What's Gen Z VC? 💫
Gen Z VCs is a global collective & community of 2,800+ young VCs, angel investors, founders, and aspiring VCs. Our mission is to make VC more transparent and accessible for the next generation of investors and founders, and to create a simple place for Gen Z VCs to collaborate and build real friendships. Gen Z VCs was founded by Meagan Loyst (VC @ Lerer Hippeau) in November 2020 -- feel free to check out the Slack group, our initiatives & respective channels listed below, and DM Meagan & co. with any questions or things you'd like to see :)
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#Dealflow: Bi-weekly #dealflow roundtable series to bring together young investors and founders. Led by Cole Mora and Jonathan Kendall.
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#Investor-Syndicate: The official investor syndicate of Gen Z VCs, called Gen Z Ventures, helping young investors write their first angel investments. Led by Erik de Stefanis.
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#Clubhouse: Bi-weekly conversations on Clubhouse feat. Gen Z investor panelists, discussing topics about VC investing, emerging trends, and more to amplify the perspective of young investors. Led by Ben Grosse.