Published in Spero Ventures·Sep 24, 2020An Inside Look at Roblox, the Gaming Universe That’s Exploded to 164,000,000+ UsersCraig Donato is the Chief Business Officer at Roblox, a gaming platform where more than 150 million kids and teens come to play with their friends in immersive, user-created 3D worlds. Spero Ventures was honored to welcome Craig as an interviewee on The Factor, hosted by Sonny Mayugba. …Roblox8 min readRoblox8 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Sep 12, 2020Should your startup raise money?…and if yes, from what source? — by Veronica Reaves-Parks Start a company. Raise venture capital. Rapidly grow to either IPO or get acquired. Become a millionaire, full stop. In its simplest form, that’s the playbook, as many aspiring founders see it. But should every company raise money? Should every company raise venture capital? How do you…Startups5 min readStartups5 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Jun 4, 2020A Founder’s Path From Napkin to NASDAQA story of chasing a dream and never giving up — by Ellen Fishbein Need a dose of optimism? Look no further than Sonny Mayugba, Spero Ventures’ Entrepreneur In Residence. On the road to success, Sonny started with a futon mattress, a rice cooker, and a few entrepreneurial scribbles on a cocktail napkin. Some years later, he had the surreal experience…Startup11 min readStartup11 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Mar 5, 2020Member-onlyHow You Run Your Startup Will (And Should) ChangeSkillshare CEO Matt Cooper likens his company’s operating model to their product. It’s constantly improving. — Founding a tech startup is sexy. Running one, often, is not. That’s why tested and trusted tactical advice is gold. At the 2019 Spero Ventures Founder Summit, Skillshare CEO Matt Cooper shared the routine processes he and his team have built to manage and grow their business over the past…CEO5 min readCEO5 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Feb 17, 2020Member-onlyAnne Raimondi’s actionable culture kit to boost recruitment and performanceGuru’s Chief Customer Officer advocates for an intentional, systematic approach to curating talent and culture. — While most everyone acknowledges the importance of “culture” and finding the right “values fit” when hiring, sometimes the need to expeditiously fill a role can lead to a moment of, well, just this time. …6 min read6 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Jan 16, 2020Founder Lessons: A Fireside Chat With Maynard Webb, CEO & Co-Founder at Webb Investment NetworkYour success depends on your integrity. And hard work. — If you ask tech industry pioneer Maynard Webb what he aspired to achieve in his career, his answer might surprise you. It’s not fame. Or money. Or more influence. He’d tell you that, in retirement, he’d relax on a park bench. More than anything, he hoped someone he’d worked with…Startup5 min readStartup5 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Dec 13, 2019Beyond inclusion: How leaders can become Diversity ChampionsJopwell CEO and co-founder Porter Braswell shares insights for realizing value from building workforces that reflect the world around us. — The first wave of disclosures about the lack of diversity in Big Tech, in 2014, came at an opportune time for Porter Braswell and Ryan Williams. …Diversity6 min readDiversity6 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Aug 14, 2019Don’t Race Over Speed BumpsAnd other life lessons from Jerry Colonna, Silicon Valley’s leadership coach and “CEO whisperer” — Last month we hosted Jerry Colonna, founder of leadership development firm Reboot.io and author of the new book, Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up, for a talk with Spero Founding Partner Shripriya Mahesh. …Venture Capital5 min readVenture Capital5 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·May 17, 2019Building Things, Forgetting Things, and What We Leave BehindA conversation with Shripriya Mahesh about working and investing in tech — Last month Techstars and Spero Ventures hosted an event for founders and investors in Los Angeles. Techstars is a global startup accelerator and mentorship network that spans 168 countries and has over 1800 alumni companies. As part of the event, Anna Barber, Managing Director at Techstars LA, interviewed Shripriya Mahesh…Investors5 min readInvestors5 min read
Published in Spero Ventures·Apr 4, 2019Don’t WaitLessons on life and business by investor, blogger, podcaster and community builder Joanne Wilson — Last week we hosted Joanne Wilson, AKA “Gotham Gal,” New York City-based angel investor and startup advisor, for a fireside talk with Spero Founding Partner Shripriya Mahesh. …Venture Capital3 min readVenture Capital3 min read
