Three Questions with: Kleida Martiro, Partner at Glasswing Ventures
“Three Questions with…” is a new feature from All Raise, where we’ll sit down with startup industry leaders and trailblazers for a behind-the-scenes look at the wins, losses, and challenges that shaped their paths to success and growth. We’re grateful for our interviewees’ commitment to educate and support the next generation of women and non-binary venture and tech leaders.
After two years in Chicago at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Kleida Martiro moved to Boston and started as an Associate at Glasswing Ventures where, she says, “With a spirit of initiative, I undertook a wide array of responsibilities, from the sometimes mundane tasks — often overlooked by MBAs — to the more demanding and crucial facets of the role. My involvement ranged from sourcing to conducting insightful due diligence, to performing meticulous analysis of market trends and competitive landscapes. I eagerly stepped forward to support our portfolio companies, proactively contributing to their growth and success. Furthermore, I devoted my efforts to expanding Glasswing’s influence within the ecosystem, thus ensuring a holistic impact on our operations and success.”
The learning curve was steep, but Kleida’s can-do attitude and determination to be involved in all facets of the business made her a highly visible — and valuable — member of the Glasswing team, both internally and amongst its portfolio companies. In just four years, Kleida fast-tracked her way to become the newest partner at Glasswing. (Check her out in Business Insider!) Recently, she met with us to talk about her career trajectory, the importance of paying mentorship forward, and the future of venture capital.
The following has been edited and condensed for readability.
Congratulations on making partner! Can you share a bit about the path that led you here?
In undergrad at Mount Holyoke College, I was an econ and math major, and I interned in early tech startups. My intrinsic affinity for hard sciences and economics cultivated a methodical and analytical approach to problem-solving and gave me an appreciation for economic frameworks and market dynamics. This encouraged a deep understanding of technological innovation and its economic implications, and fostered an ability to assess the feasibility and potential impact of novel ideas.
After college, I applied my quantitative mindset to advertising. At the time, one of the aspects of advertising that I loved was identifying new technologies — for our brand and for our clients. With that, I moved into a data science role for a startup in New York, where I had the chance to really get my hands dirty in training algorithms, working with developers, working with marketing sales, and, truly drawing insights and linking those insights to business-driven decisions supported by data. These roles both demanded a keen understanding of customer behavior, market trends, and the ability to predict future industry trajectories — all underpinned by data — and I was able to drive strategies that enhanced growth and engagement. This experience allowed me to see firsthand how innovative business models could disrupt markets and generate value, a core concept in the VC world.
Then I moved to Chicago to get my MBA at Kellogg. Even before AI became prominent, my interests naturally veered towards it. I was always captivated by the intricacies of mathematics, the predictive prowess of analytics, and the ability to uncover trends and devise data-informed strategies. So I made it my priority upon graduation from Kellogg to join a company that looked at AI or had AI at the forefront, and would really push my boundaries. I found that in Glasswing, which since 2016 specifically targets founders who are using AI to change their industries.
I approached my first few years at Glasswing with a startup mindset, where everyone pitches in wherever they’re needed. In addition to my investor role, I delved into varied domains such as bolstering brand awareness, developing internal materials, and organizing events. I had direct exposure to the various areas of business within Glasswing, as well as, the many facets of diligence. I also learned how people think, how to get better at what I’m doing, and what that trajectory would look like for me.
I learned quickly. I was proactive and asked a lot of questions. All of that combined with the great people and culture here, I climbed up the ladder. Glasswing’s Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Rudina Seseri and Rick Grinnell, have been incredible to me as mentors — giving me the opportunity to grow, coaching me the right way, and teaching me all the ropes about what it means to be a responsible and empathetic VC and how to navigate a male-dominated industry.
Speaking of your mentors, you actually started the mentorship program Glasswing Ignite before you made partner. How did that originate?
I’ve had many mentors in my life who have helped me tremendously. I grew up with that sense of paying it forward, helping others, identifying those needs. My genuine enthusiasm for my work is evidently noticeable, leading to frequent LinkedIn messages and inquiries from interns, co-ops, and peers all keen to explore the VC landscape further.
In the spirit of both getting closer with the student communities around Boston, and addressing this need, we did a market survey at Glasswing, where we learned that while there are programs that help students connect to each other, there wasn’t one mentoring/educational program for students, especially in the Boston area, that works together with VCs. So, we decided to create it at Glasswing. And that’s how we started Ignite.
The goal is to support students who are passionate about VC or starting a company and want hands-on experience. Through the program, mentees source companies and we will run through a diligence process together with them as if they were already VCs — like Model UN or mock trial for venture capital. We’re teaching them how to think critically about what venture investments look like. What makes a good team? What makes a good investment? How do you think about the business applications of certain technologies? How do you even assess technologies? And what happens post investment?
Ignite has been going for three years now, so it’s gone three cycles. Every time we run the program, it’s fascinating to see the difference between the first session and the last session. In the first session, I would do most of the speaking, but in the last session, the students would actually engage mostly with each other and drive those conversations. I saw that as a metric of success of the program. And we’ve heard from participants how formative the experience has been for them, and how the connections they forged over the course of Ignite will be lasting ones! Interested in participating? You can apply here.
You’re quite invested in holding space for those who are next up. What insights and thoughts do you have on the generation of VCs?
I’m excited about the next generation of VCs because I see a lot more diversity — not just compared to what the VC community looked and felt like a decade ago, but diversity in schools of thought, in backgrounds, and in nationalities. There are different realms of diversity, and that brings so much more to the table.
We all know how fundamental diversity is to further ideas, to further innovation, and to just do better. To me, that’s been a shift in what the next generation of VCs looks like.
I see associates and analysts joining the community. I see interest from Gen Z coming into VC. And it’s very exciting to see the drive, the passion that they have — not just to invest, but also to find founders that look like themselves or founders that are coming from either a certain demographic or a certain region or a certain school of thought. That can have a network multiplying effect a couple of years down the line.
So, to me, this next generation will change a lot of how we think about investment, how we think about technology, and what drives business use cases. I think it’ll be more exciting.
As we wrapped our conversation, Kleida confirmed that mentoring through Glasswing Ignite and other platforms will remain a priority for her. “Mentoring and advocating are going to allow us to keep moving toward a more diverse, more passionate generation of VCs. I want to keep giving students the opportunity to work alongside funders and founders. And I’m going to keep donating my time when someone is interested in this space. Those conversations can be so meaningful for the students, and it’s so easy for me to open that door and show them a little bit of what the world is like.”
And as for one piece of advice she gives all the students she mentors? “Follow-ups are very, very important! As VCs, there’s so much going on for us on a [daily] basis that if you want to stay on our radar, staying in touch consistently is key. And honestly, if you want to be a VC, it’s a skill that will translate into your day-to-day life. VCs follow up all the time and they network all the time. It’s good to build that habit now!”
