The Dear Twentysomething podcast started because we wanted to create a space for ambitious and curious twentysomethings to connect with the successful changemakers they most look up to.A bit about me (your host!)... I&#39;m Erica Wenger, a twentysomething entrepreneur and investor, and I&#39;m so grateful for this badass community of twentysomethings who are here to get knowledge and be inspired! While the twenties can be a time full of questions and doubts, we’re here to humanize the whole thing. Sometimes you’ll hear from successful trailblazers who come on to share the highs and lows of their 20s, and other times you’ll hear words of wisdom from experts who will speak on a topic relevant for twentysomethings. And then on occasion, it’ll just be me on the mic hosting an episode where I share a recent reflection or story from my own life as I too am navigating this wild decade. Thank you for being here!Podcasts released every TUESDAY.

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This week our host, Erica Wenger, recaps Dear Twentysomething Season 3! On this 100th episode of Dear Twentysomething, we look back on the 3 most popular solo and guest episodes of this season! Stay tuned for Dear Twentysomething Season 4! Follow Us!Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Solo Episode: Season 3 Recap and Season 4 Sneak Peek

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This week we chat with Annie Reardon!  Annie Reardon is co-founder and co-CEO of Ludo and leads marketing and sales for the company. Annie is a front-end engineer and has been building in the infrastructure and big data space for three years. Fascinated by technological infrastructure and future applications of blockchain, Annie is also passionate about making emerging technology more accessible, particularly for women and underrepresented communities. Before founding Ludo, Annie worked as a front-end software engineer with JP Morgan Chase, and previously worked at Influenster. To date, Ludo has raised millions to further the development and expansion of its software. Annie has also been recognized on Crain&#39;s 20 in Their Twenties list and Forbes 30 Under 30. Follow Us!Annie Reardon: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/annielouuuuu/" rel="nofollow">@annielouuuu</a>Ludo: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ludoloyalty/" rel="nofollow">@ludo</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Annie Reardon: Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Ludo

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This week our host, Erica Wenger, chats about her most recent essay: Elephant DNA! On this episode Erica dives into the formula to know if your company has &#34;elephant DNA&#34;. She goes through the concept of Elephant startups characterized by their transformation of customers into members and the cultivation of communities, examining the primary drivers of these companies, particularly their community-driven nature. Read the essay here: <a href="https://prc.beehiiv.com/p/elephantdna" rel="nofollow">ELEPHANT DNA</a> Follow Us!Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Solo Episode: My Elephant DNA Essay Deep Dive

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Tara Bosch made Canadian history by scaling her company to be the fastest growing CPG brand founded by a solo female founder...ever.  When a love affair with candy devolved into an unhealthy relationship with food, Tara became inspired by a conversation with her grandmother about the detrimental effects of sugar. She soon dropped out of college to fulfill her dream: to create the future of candy.  SmartSweets can now be found in 160,000 stores across the USA &amp; Canada, with partners including Target, Kroger, and Costco. Scaling SmartSweets to be the fastest growing CPG brand founded by a solo female founder in Canadian history, she landed a $360M majority acquisition by TPG capital 4 years after launching the company from her basement. As a leader, Tara is wildly passionate about empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and believes their big impact-driven visions are needed more than ever before in the world, leading her to create a first-of-its-kind initiative- Bold Beginnings. In addition to fostering connection and tailored support to entrepreneurs with big visions, Tara is working to normalize the feelings of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and insecurities that all entrepreneurs face, while putting funds back into the ecosystem supporting women entrepreneurs to bring their visions and companies to scale. Publicly, Tara has been recognized for how she beat the statistics of women in entrepreneurship not only by being a solo founder, but maintaining ownership of her brand, keeping gender parity on her board and scaling a team that has always been 80% female-identifying. She is the recipient of several entrepreneurial awards, including being named Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award, Forbes 30 under 30, Peter Thiel Fellow, and EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year. Follow Us!Tara Bosch: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tarabosch/" rel="nofollow">@tarabosch</a>Smart Sweets: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/smartsweets/" rel="nofollow">@SmartSweets</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Tara Bosch: Founder of SmartSweets

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This week we chat with Niven McCall-Mazza!  Niven McCall-Mazza is Editor-in-Chief of theSkimm, overseeing its news, money, wellness, audio, and video teams. Under her leadership, theSkimm has helped its 12 million+ audience stay up-to-date on current events, focusing on how they specifically affect women&#39;s lives, health, and financial security. She has scaled the company&#39;s editorial team and products, expanded its DEI efforts, and spearheaded its 2018 midterm election campaign – which activated 200,000 people to vote.  Prior to joining theSkimm, McCall-Mazza was a Senior Editor at NBC News, managing the company&#39;s breaking news coverage across all platforms. At NBC, she earned an Emmy nomination for her work covering the San Bernardino shooting and an Emmy win for coverage of the 2014 MH17 plane crash.  In addition to her role at theSkimm, McCall-Mazza is on the Board of Advisors for Grace Farms Foods, which uses food to foster good in the world. She was also featured on GV&#39;s 2021 Impact List as one of 25 women making a difference in their company&#39;s culture and success. Follow Us!Niven McCall-Mazza: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thecurveteur/" rel="nofollow">@nivenmccallmazza</a>theSkimm: <a href="https://twitter.com/theskimm" rel="nofollow">@theSkimm</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Niven McCall-Mazza: Editor-in-Chief of theSkimm

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This week we chat with Kimmy Scotti!  Kimmy Scotti is co-founder and CEO of skincare company Fig.1, and founding partner at venture capital fund, 8VC. As an investor, serial entrepreneur and mother of twin boys, Kimmy’s endeavors are multifaceted. As a founding partner at 8VC, a technology and life sciences investment firm, Kimmy invests in category-disrupting brands at the intersection of healthcare and consumer. She has invested in category defining companies including Blink Health, Maven, Oula, Hill House Home and Seed. Guided by her deep obsession with the beauty market, Kimmy co-founded Fig.1 in 2021 with a board-certified Harvard dermatologist to create a science-backed, sustainably-driven skincare line. Under Kimmy&#39;s leadership, Fig.1 grew its footprint beyond direct-to-consumer to over 3,000 retail, spa and dermatologist locations, along with category expansion into performance body care in 2023. Kimmy&#39;s start as an entrepreneur came at the age of 15 when she landed her personal jewelry line at Bloomingdale&#39;s and a feature on Project Runway. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology, she served as the Executive Director of Business Development &amp; Operations at a New York Family Office, where she incubated and invested in many businesses including a multi-billion dollar healthcare platform that helped over 10 million individuals access affordable prescriptions. In addition to her current work with 8VC and Fig.1, Kimmy currently serves on the Board of Directors for JewBelong, the Board of Directors for Breakout Foundation, and on the Senior Advisory Committee to Cornell Tech at Cornell University. She is an active supporter of various charitable initiatives including women’s reproductive rights, maternal health and antisemitism Follow Us!Kimmy Scotti: <a href="https://twitter.com/kimmyscotti" rel="nofollow">@kimmyscotti</a>8VC: <a href="https://twitter.com/8vc" rel="nofollow">@8VC</a>Fig.1 Beauty: <a href="https://twitter.com/fig1co" rel="nofollow">@fig1co</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Kimmy Scotti: Founder of 8VC & Fig.1 Beauty

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As a Halloween special for this week, our host, Erica Wenger talks about the unsettling myths surrounding fundraising and venture capital. On this episode Erica shares her 2 cents on what people get wrong about fundraising and Venture Capital. Erica delves into the common misconceptions that often mislead aspiring entrepreneurs and offers valuable insights to demystify the world of fundraising, and hopefully help you get ready to navigate the intricacies of VC and fundraising with confidence! For anyone having doubts and fears about becoming an investor or wanting to break into VC, this episode is for you! Follow Us!Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Halloween Episode: Scary Myths about Fundraising

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This week we chat with the one of a kind, B. Pagels-Minor! Erica and B know each other as solo GPs in the early stage venture capital world. In this episode, B shares how they&#39;ve navigated various industries (including the world of venture as of recently), especially as a non-binary person of color. B has an amazing story, and we were so honored to have them on the pod! B. is an award-winning product strategist, podcast host, startup advisor and investor, executive coach, and a respected thought leader in agile technologies. B.’s fierce drive to promote diversity in tech and impact authentic change continues to define their work and life outside of their work. B. is a proud graduate of Northwestern University with a focus on history and an MBA and master of information systems from Robert Morris University. B. gives back to various organizations by being the Vice Chair &amp; Secretary on the Board of Directors at Howard Brown Health, one of the top 3 largest LGBTQ community health centers in the country, Vice President &amp; Secretary on the Board of Directors at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Board of Directors of both the Northwestern Alumni Association and Outfest. In 2022, B. Was honored as one of the Queer 50 from Fast Company, 35 Hero Advocate Executives by Involve People and Yahoo Finance UK, and a finalist for 2022 LGBTQNation heroes of the year. Follow Us!B. Pagels-Minor: <a href="https://twitter.com/bpagelsminor" rel="nofollow">@bpagelsminor</a>DVRGNT Ventures: <a href="https://twitter.com/dvrgntventures" rel="nofollow">@dvrgntventures</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

B. Pagels-Minor: Founding GP at DVRGNT Ventures

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This week we chat with Mike Jones!  Mike is co-founder and managing director of Science, a Los Angeles-based multi-asset investment firm partnering with and investing in disruptive consumer technology companies in traditional venture equity and blockchain investments. As a serial entrepreneur, Mike has built, invested in and been on the board of consumer tech companies like Dollar Shave Club, Liquid Death, and PlayVS. Science’s blockchain practice has invested in Web3 startups such as Dapper Labs, RealBlocks and Protego Trust, which is one of just three banks to have OCC approval to hold custody of digital assets. Before Science, Mike was the CEO of MySpace, and he has advised the founders of Snapchat and TikTok. His experience and expertise in both large and small companies focuses on strategy, growth, and operational efficiency, and has resulted in over $2B in exits. Mike started his first company in college and continues to build new companies within his firm Science Inc. He currently lives in Aspen, Colorado with his wife and two kids. Follow Us!Mike Jones: <a href="https://twitter.com/mjones" rel="nofollow">@mjones</a>Science Inc: website <a href="https://www.science-inc.com/" rel="nofollow">here</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Mike Jones: Founder of Science Inc. & Fmr CEO of Myspace

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This week we’re talking all things angel investing with the enthusiastic &amp; knowledgable, Brian Nichols. In this explained episode, Erica and Brian chat through what exactly angel investing is, who can be an angel investor, how to get deal flow, how to evaluate startups once you get that deal flow, and so much more. Most importantly, Brian shares his story as an angel investor and why/how he joined the Hustle Fund team to build Angel Squad. Over the last decade, Brian has helped build Lyft, Zoox, On Deck, and BlackBird past a combined market cap of over $5B, and helped raise $500M. In 2019, he decided to try something new. He decided to shift his focus from building businesses to investing in them. He teamed up with Ann Miura-Ko to start Uplyft (Lyft alumni syndicate) and it started with 300+ of Lyft’s earliest employees who have invested over $30M+ together. He soon found myself becoming the go-to &#34;alumni syndicate guy” and helped Airbnb, Stripe, Pinterest, DoorDash, and many others get their alumni syndicates off the ground. After opening up the Lyft alumni syndicate to the public (any accredited investor can join, regardless of affiliation with Lyft), he started to notice a trend. There were folks from all over the world, all professional backgrounds, who were investing alongside them. These folks didn&#39;t have access to a network, the knowledge, and the guidance that he was lucky to have. So, in October 2020, less than a year into the pandemic, he quit his job and joined Hustle Fund – his favorite early-stage VC – to build Angel Squad. The results were pretty phenomenal. In 2.5 years, 1,400+ people joined Angel Squad, and as a group, they have invested $21M+ in 50+ startups. They have reporters, scientists, founders, and students from all over the world in their community. Follow Us!Brian Nichols: <a href="https://twitter.com/b_nicks11" rel="nofollow">@b_nicks11</a>Read Hustle Fund&#39;s Angel Investing Starter Kit <a href="https://letsgo.hustlefund.vc/starterkit" rel="nofollow">HERE</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Angel Investing EXPLAINED ft. Brian Nichols: Active Angel Investor & Founder of Hustle Fund's Angel Squad

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This week we’re talking all things community design with the expert on all things community, Gina Bianchini. In this explained episode, Erica and Gina chat through the founding story of Mighty Networks (Gina&#39;s company), her community design framework, the difference between a community and an audience, and so much more. Gina gives a masterclass on how to build a scalable, self-sustaining community. Gina Bianchini is the Founder &amp; CEO of Mighty Networks. Her mission at Mighty Networks is to usher in a new era of digital businesses built on network effects. Mighty Networks serves small and medium businesses that offer digital memberships, online courses, community, and subscriptions–all offered in one place under their brand, instantly available on every platform. Before Mighty Networks, Gina and Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen launched Ning, a pioneering global platform for creating niche social networks. Under her leadership, Ning grew to ~100 million people in 300,000 active social networks across subcultures, professional networks, entertainment, politics, and education. It was sold for $150M in 2010. In addition to Mighty Networks, Gina serves as a board director of TEGNA (NYSE: TGNA), a $2.7 billion dollar broadcast and digital media company, and served as a board director of Scripps Networks (NASDAQ: SNI), a $14.6 billion dollar public company which owned HGTV, The Food Network, and The Travel Channel that was purchased by Discovery Communications in 2018. Gina and Mighty Networks have been featured in Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. She has appeared on Charlie Rose, CNBC, and CNN. She grew up in Cupertino, California, graduated with honors from Stanford University, started her career in the nascent High Technology Group at Goldman, Sachs &amp; Co., and received her M.B.A from Stanford Business School. Follow Us!Gina Bianchini: <a href="https://twitter.com/ginab" rel="nofollow">@ginab</a>Mighty Networks: <a href="https://twitter.com/MightyNetworks" rel="nofollow">@mightynetworks</a>Buy her book Purpose: Design a Community and Change Your Life---A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Purpose and Making It Matter <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Community-Life-Step-Step/dp/B0BN4RLDH6" rel="nofollow">HERE</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Community Design EXPLAINED ft. Gina Bianchini: Founder of Mighty Networks

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This week we’re talking the membership economy with the knowledgable expert, Robbie Kellman Baxter. In this explained episode, Erica and Robbie chat through what exactly the membership economy is, why Robbie thinks those companies are best set up for success in the coming decade, and how Robbie coins terminology that the industry adopts. She has a fascinating path starting off in consulting and carving her niche as the world&#39;s expert on the membership economy. Robbie Kellman Baxter helps companies leverage subscription pricing, digital communities, and freemium models to build deeper relationships with customers. Over the past 21 years, she has worked with over 100 organizations in over 20 industries like the National Basketball Association, Hagerty, The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft, and Ingram Micro.   As a keynote speaker, she has presented globally at major conferences, association meetings, trade shows and elite universities as well as to private audiences at many of the world&#39;s most well-known companies. She hosts the podcast, “Subscription Stories,” where she sits down with business leaders to discuss how they’re using subscription pricing and membership models to redefine the biggest industries and generate predictable recurring revenue. Robbie has also developed and taught nine video courses for LinkedIn Learning on business topics ranging from innovation to customer success and membership. Her first book, “The Membership Economy: Find Your Superusers, Master the Forever Transaction &amp; Build Recurring Revenue,” anticipated and defined the massive transformation from ownership to membership and the rise of subscription pricing. It was named a top 10 marketing book of all time by BookAuthority. Her second book, “The Forever Transaction,” takes readers through every step of the subscription business process – from initial start-up or testing of a new model to scaling the operation for long-term growth and sustainability. Prior to launching Peninsula Strategies, Robbie was a strategy consultant at Booz-Allen &amp; Hamilton, a New York City Urban Fellow, and a Silicon Valley product marketer. She received her MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and graduated with honors from Harvard College.  Twentysomethings, tune in now for a jam-packed chat on all things membership economy. Follow Us!Robbie Kellman Baxter: <a href="https://twitter.com/robbiebax" rel="nofollow">@robbiebax</a>Buy The Membership Economy <a href="https://robbiekellmanbaxter.com/the-membership-economy/" rel="nofollow">here</a>Buy The Forever Transaction <a href="https://robbiekellmanbaxter.com/the-forever-transaction/" rel="nofollow">here</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Membership Economy EXPLAINED ft. Robbie Kellman Baxter: Author of The Membership Economy and The Forever Transaction

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This week we chat with Lee Anne Grant!  Lee Anne has been an executive at various consumer companies and has launched numerous new products and businesses in her career. She’s passionate about helping companies grow revenue in a profitable, thoughtful, and aggressive way. Currently, Lee Anne Grant manages the sales and marketing team at Babylist, the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby- responsible for driving profitable revenue through community growth, partnerships, and the development of new products. (Babylist is now driving purchases for over 9M people each year.) She uses her extensive experience in performance and brand marketing to optimize an eight-figure marketing budget with content and brand strategies that support an industry-leading NPS score. A true sleeping giant, Babylist has built a nearly $300M business around baby registries, transforming from a simple baby registry website to a multi-faceted marketplace encompassing e-commerce, content creation, and healthcare resources for the entire family graph. Her greatest passion lies in helping people feel good. She prides herself on being a wellness enthusiast: She’s completed an Ironman and 4 marathons and is a certified yoga instructor and trans-Tahoe swimmer. Follow Us!Lee Anne Grant: Linkedin <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeannegrant/" rel="nofollow">here</a>Babylist: website <a href="https://babylist.com/" rel="nofollow">here</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Lee Anne Grant: Chief Growth Officer at Babylist

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This week we’re talking fundraising with the enthusiastic storytelling expert, Robbie Crabtree. In this explained episode, Erica and Robbie chat through Robbie&#39;s fascinating story and his advice for founders who plan to or are actively fundraising. He gives away a lot of his proprietary tips in this episode that he normally reserves just for his clients. If you are a founder or VC raising $ anytime soon, you don&#39;t want to miss this episode! Robbie Crabtree spent the first seven years of his career as a trial lawyer in Dallas, TX where he tried 102 jury trials. He specialized in violent felonies like robberies and murders before moving into the special crimes unit focused on child abuse cases. During his 16 months in that unit he tried cases of child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, and child death cases. After 7 years as a trial lawyer, he left the legal world behind to work in the tech industry. He first founded an edtech startup around public speaking for tech company executives and leadership that was acquired by On Deck at the end of 2020. Since that acquisition he’s founded Competitive Storytelling and turned it into the premier storytelling practice for founders, CEOs, and other leaders inside of the tech and venture capital world. Over the past 2 years, Robbie has trained thousands of these leaders from startups all the way to large public companies to help them become world-class storytellers. Founders and CEOs that he’s privately coached have raised over $575 million dollars and been backed by the biggest venture capital funds in the world. His approach to storytelling and fundraising comes directly from his experience as a trial lawyer which is why he’s regularly asked to speak across the world on the subject. He’s spoken at Stanford University multiple times where he’s addressed the funding gap for minority and female founders while providing a roadmap for how capital allocators and founders can change that dynamic. Robbie is also the author of the upcoming book titled Competitive Storytelling: Raise Capital, Win Influence, and Shape the Future. Twentysomethings, tune in now for a jam-packed chat on all things fundraising. Follow Us!Robbie Crabtree: <a href="https://twitter.com/RobbieCrab" rel="nofollow">@robbiecrab</a>Competitive Storytelling: website <a href="https://www.founderfundraising.com/" rel="nofollow">here</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Fundraising EXPLAINED ft. Robbie Crabtree: Founder of Competitive Storytelling

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This week our host, Erica Wenger, chats about one of the questions she gets asked most often... how to break into venture capital? On this episode Erica talks through why someone would want to break into the industry, what types of people would thrive and in what roles (hint: pretty much anyone can find their place!), and my miscellaneous tips for someone who has that as a future goal. I share the behind-the-scenes on how I did it (working for a fund and then starting my own) and all the other ways you can get exposure to the industry before officially taking a full-time job. For anyone thinking about becoming an investor or wanting to break into VC, this episode is for you! Follow Us!Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Solo Episode: Breaking into Venture Capital

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This week we chat with fellow twin, Ali Partovi!  Ali Partovi is CEO of Neo, a diverse community of tech veterans coming together to invest in the leaders of tomorrow. Neo identifies awesome undergrads, connects them with other community members, and invests in companies they start or join. Ali was born in Tehran and lived through the Iran-Iraq war. He studied CS at Harvard. His first startup, LinkExchange, was acquired in 1998. He has backed Airbnb, Dropbox, Facebook, &amp; Uber. He co-founded Code.org to promote CS education. Ali is passionate about sustainable food and loves climbing, guitar, puzzles, and family. Ali is a legend in the Silicon Valley ecosystem who started building businesses at a very young age. He gives fascinating advice in this episode for very entrepreneurial individuals and very technical individuals on how they should approach their early career decisions. Lots of gems in this one. Enjoy! Follow Us!Ali Partovi: <a href="https://twitter.com/apartovi" rel="nofollow">@apartovi</a>Neo: <a href="https://twitter.com/Neo" rel="nofollow">@neo</a>Code.org: website <a href="https://code.org/" rel="nofollow">here</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Ali Partovi: CEO of Neo, Co-Founder of Code.org, Angel Investor

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/8/5/6/b6c73b1a-ff82-42ec-b381-9c6dc14ae11a_erica_wenger_-_episode_84.mp3

This week we’re talking egg freezing with the extremely inspiring Lauren Makler.  Lauren Makler is the Co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.cofertility.com/" rel="nofollow">Cofertility</a>. Her winding road of a fertility journey led her to believe that everyone should have the opportunity to freeze their eggs –and that the egg donation experience should be made more positive and human-centered for everyone involved. Lauren also founded Uber Health, a product that enables healthcare organizations to leverage Uber’s driver network to improve healthcare outcomes through patient transportation and delivery. Under her leadership, the business helped millions of patients get to the care they needed. Prior to that, Lauren helped launch Uber’s core business throughout the east coast and led the company’s first experiments in healthcare, national on demand flu shot campaigns. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their miracle baby girl. In this explained episode, Erica and Lauren chat through all the myths and facts around egg freezing, so for any twentysomething who wants to take control of their life... this episode is for you. It&#39;ll hopefully give you the information you need to make the right choices for YOU. Lauren also talks through what a more human-centered approach looks like in the fertility space and her personal story that started it all. Twentysomethings, listen now for an hour of inspiration with Lauren Makler! Follow Us!Lauren Makler: <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenmakler" rel="nofollow">@laurenmakler</a>Cofertility: <a href="https://twitter.com/Cofertility" rel="nofollow">@cofertility</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Egg Freezing EXPLAINED ft. Lauren Makler: Founder of Co-Fertility

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/6/21/20/715a218f-971d-4b4d-a616-9b48524773c4_81._erica_000.mp3

This week we chat about why our host, Erica Wenger, decided to move from LA to NYC! It&#39;s a tough decision to leave comfort (family, friends, amazing apartment, great weather), but after lots of consideration, it was time to make the leap. The tech scene in NYC these days is buzzing and for those of you looking to be in the heart of the energy, a move may be in store. On this episode Erica talks through the rationale behind her decision and what she&#39;s most excited about when she gets to NYC. For anyone thinking about making the move to NYC or another city based on your current priorities, this episode is for you! Follow Us!Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Solo Episode: Why I Moved to NYC!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/8/5/6/af599cbf-ff41-47fa-acad-34232dae57b6_82._erica_000.mp3

This week we’re talking all things public relations for founders &amp; VCs with the knowledgable Jenna Birch.  <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-birch-82bb3124/" rel="nofollow">Jenna Birch</a> is the founder of Sisu Brand &amp; PR, a communications consultancy serving both venture capital firms and startups. She has previously worked as the VP, Narrative &amp; Communications at <a href="https://www.nfx.com/" rel="nofollow">NFX</a>, as well as the Head of Content &amp; Communications at <a href="https://www.forerunnerventures.com/" rel="nofollow">Forerunner</a>, crafting inventive marketing and PR strategies for both firms. In those roles, she&#39;s also worked with startups across sectors like consumer, enterprise, SaaS, bio, digital health, travel, crypto, fintech/e-commerce, and more. Prior to working in-house at VC firms, she was a longtime journalist and published author (THE LOVE GAP, Grand Central Publishing, 2018). In this explained episode, Erica and Jenna talk about Jenna&#39;s windy journey from being a freelance journalist to writing a dating book to uncovering her passion for storytelling which landed her in the world of venture capital. Jenna has since left venture capital and kickstarted her own firm to support mostly female founders and fund managers with everything PR related. She&#39;s a wealth of knowledge and we&#39;re so glad she shared her time with us! Twentysomethings, listen now for an hour of inspiration with Jenna Birch! Follow Us!Jenna Birch: <a href="https://twitter.com/jennabirch?lang=en" rel="nofollow">@jennabirch</a>Email Jenna at: jenna@sisubrandpr.com Erica Wenger: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erica_wenger/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

VC/Founder PR 101 EXPLAINED ft. Jenna Birch: Founder of Sisu Brand & PR

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/6/30/5/f24db366-3595-4cc9-9f18-a99471146d1e_80._erica_000.mp3

This week we chat with Miri Buckland!  In this episode, Miri and Erica talk about how they each define creativity and how Miri&#39;s business, Landing, was created to help members find their inner creative voice. She shares the origin stories of the business (originally was targeting interior designers!) and what it&#39;s been like to scale their community and uncover trends before the rest of the world sees them (ex. tomato girl summer, which you can learn about in the episode)! Miri Buckland is the COO and co-founder of <a href="https://landing.space/" rel="nofollow">LANDING</a>, an online social commerce platform that allows users to tap into daily creativity, discover collective inspiration, deliver authentic expression, and nurture meaningful connections.  As someone who discovered her identity as a &#39;creative&#39; later in life, Miri is on a mission to empower everyone to be and feel creative. Together with her team, she is developing LANDING’s platform to ignite creativity across its growing +200k global LANDING VERSE community. Landing is backed by leading investors including Cowboy Ventures, Defy VC, DreamMachine Ventures, and Progression Fund. By trade, Miri is a marketer, community builder and consumer tech operator. Prior to co-founding LANDING, Miri held roles at Sky TV in London and in venture capital in San Francisco. Miri was a 2022 Forbes 30 under 30 recipient and a Graduate of Stanford University School of Business. Follow Us!Miri Buckland: <a href="https://twitter.com/MiriBuckland" rel="nofollow">@miribuckland</a>LANDING: <a href="https://twitter.com/landing__space" rel="nofollow">@landing__space</a>, website <a href="https://landing.space/" rel="nofollow">here</a> Erica Wenger: <a href="https://twitter.com/erica_wenger" rel="nofollow">@erica_wenger</a>Dear Twentysomething: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deartwentysomething/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@deartwentysomething</a>

Miri Buckland: Founder of LANDING

The Dear Twentysomething podcast started because we wanted to create a space for ambitious and curious twentysomethings to connect with the successful changemakers they most look up to.

A bit about me (your host!)... I'm Erica Wenger, a twentysomething entrepreneur and investor, and I'm so grateful for this badass community of twentysomethings who are here to get knowledge and be inspired!

While the twenties can be a time full of questions and doubts, we’re here to humanize the whole thing. Sometimes you’ll hear from successful trailblazers who come on to share the highs and lows of their 20s, and other times you’ll hear words of wisdom from experts who will speak on a topic relevant for twentysomethings. And then on occasion, it’ll just be me on the mic hosting an episode where I share a recent reflection or story from my own life as I too am navigating this wild decade. Thank you for being here!

Podcasts released every TUESDAY.