Ashley Aydin on Her Journey to Venture Capital, Investing in Diverse Founders, and the Future of the Industry

In this podcast episode, Ashley Aydin talks about her journey into the startup and venture world, her experiences working in startups and venture funds, and her focus on investing in diverse founders, particularly in the Latinx community. She discusses the importance of operational experience in becoming a good investor, Vamos Ventures' investment focus and their efforts to support diverse founders, and Ashley's insights on what founders should focus on when presenting their startup to investors. Ashley also shares her thoughts on the future of the venture capital space and the importance of specialization and diversity on boards, and much more!TimestampsAshley's journey into startups and entrepreneurship [00:00:54] Ashley talks about her childhood and how she became interested in entrepreneurship, her involvement in the Brown entrepreneurship program, and her experiences at Morgan Stanley and startups.Importance of operational experience in becoming a good investor [00:05:22] Ashley discusses the importance of having operational experience in startups to become a good investor and how it helps in providing valuable feedback to early-stage companies.Vamos Ventures' mission and focus on investing in diverse founders [00:07:15] Ashley talks about Vamos Ventures' mission to invest in diverse founders and create social impact through wealth creation, social mobility, community empowerment, and racial equity.Fund Focus [00:08:06] Ashley Izen discusses the focus areas of Vamos Ventures, including health and wellness, fintech, future of work, and sustainability.Diversity in Investing [00:08:59] Ashley Aydin talks about Vamos Ventures' focus on investing in diverse founders, particularly in the Latinx community, and the importance of having more women in capital allocator seats.LPs and Emerging Funds [00:12:43] Ashley Aydin discusses the importance of having LPs aligned with Vamos Ventures' mission and the shift in the LP landscape towards investing in diverse emerging managers.Investing in Non-Traditional Founders [00:15:35] Ashley Aydin talks about the importance of taking big bets and investing in non-traditional founders with a spark of intuition.The Importance of Storytelling [00:17:21] Ashley Aydin emphasizes the importance of storytelling for founders to captivate investors and customers, and advises practicing storytelling skills.Scenario Planning for Startups [00:21:47] Ashley Aydin advises founders to scenario plan for worst, base, and best cases, and to be conservative with projections and numbers.Winners in the Venture Capital Space [00:23:28] Ashley Aydin discusses the importance of specialization in venture capital and how niche investors will outperform traditional generalists.Diversity on Boards [00:25:59] Ashley Aydin emphasizes the importance of diversity on boards, not only in skillset but also in background, and how it can provide valuable perspective for early stage companies.Favorite Business Book and Advice [00:27:33] Ashley Aydin shares her favorite business book, "Alpha Girls," and advises listeners to be comfortable with their unique perspective and voice, and to be fearless in expressing their opinions.Key LinksVamos Ventures - https://vamosventures.com/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyaydin/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ashaydin