Inside the investor network built on trust.
Photo of my fellow Kauffman Class 31 fellows, an amazing group of investors. I’m on far left, row 5
Career update: I’ve joined Kauffman Fellows, the program for VCs and investors. I was honored to be accepted into Class 31 this year. Like an advanced degree, we attend classes and travel globally together for two years, but the biggest benefit is the network: 1,000+ investor fellows and the intimate relationships formed in my class that sustain for the rest of my career. I continue on full-time as a VC at Blitzscaling Ventures.
Since joining, I’ve attended some amazing events and built real relationships with my classmates. We share market intel, go to each other’s events, and, most importantly, we’re starting to do deals together. There’s a term for it: a “Kauffman Deal,” where multiple fellow investors syndicate around a startup, invest, help the company succeed, then do it again.
Founders should pay attention to VCs who have Kauffman on their LinkedIn (or check the Kauffman public directory). It usually means they have a broader network and have put in the work to refine their investment craft. If you’re a founder evaluating VCs for your cap table, I’d encourage you to have 1-2 Kauffman fellows in the mix. They’ve received more training and have a broader network that can help accelerate your company.
For those who know me, you know I host large events like Llama Lounge (next event is Nov 5 at SAP Palo Alto), but I also host smaller, intimate ones: private dinners in San Francisco and New York for Kauffman Fellows, Jeffersonian-style, where about a dozen investors go deep on one topic. I’m hosting another one in Singapore with a fellow this October.
Which brings me to this weekend: I’m heading back to Singapore for the Kauffman Fellows 2026 week-long Singapore Trek with dozens of fellow VCs. Investor meetings, training courses, government meetings, and social events, all packed into one week. I’m co-hosting a private dinner for investor friends on AI investment opportunities while I’m there.
See you soon, Singapore, and thank you to my firm Blitzscaling Ventures for the support in the fellowship.
