Behind the Scenes at Earlybird: How Women Can Power a VC
The tide is changing in the startup/VC industry. The next generation of women is already here to shape it anew. In recognition of International Women’s Day 2022, and in order to demystify VC further, we offer a behind-the-scenes look at Earlybird.
As a venture capital investor focused on European technology companies, we invest out of a family of focused and independently-managed funds: Digital West (Western Europe), Digital East (Emerging Europe), Healthcare, UNI-X (University spinoffs), and Growth Opportunity.
In this post, hear from a variety of teammates at our Berlin office, where women are demonstrating strong leadership and professional growth in different areas of expertise, which combined makes the wheel of venture spin.
It’s time to highlight their achievements and perspectives.
We hope you enjoy this insider view with their responses split into four sections: responsibilities, motivations, accomplishments and outreach.
At Earlybird, I’m responsible for…
Vanessa Schmitz (Office Manager, Office Management & Executive Assistance Team):
Employees’ well-being at work. I manage all IT-related administration, such as on/off-boarding, Google administration/ IT equipment/ mobile device management, and wifi setting. I also manage various logistics: seating plans, conference rooms, parking spaces, parcels/post, internal/external events, office orders, and Food&Beverage orders. I am also responsible for organizing the office. I initiate new projects when I discover ways to improve coordination or areas to renovate in the office.
Parisa Roghany (Senior Accountant, Finance Team):
Together with Cecile Roulet-Veli (Accountant)…It’s important for me to mention her because it’s OUR work. We’re responsible for everything related to accounting: from invoices, bookkeeping, budget planning to payment and also for the Umsatzsteuer Voranmeldung (preliminary VAT return). In addition, Cecile and I work with our tax office for the year-end closing. The Finance team’s work is so deeply interconnected; without such a supportive and competent team, I can’t do my work. Everyone has their expertise in my team. For example, Karolina is responsible for investment evaluation and the quarter-end closing. In cooperation with another colleague, the quarterly financial statements and reports are prepared for the stakeholders and LPs.
Rabab Nasrallah (Investment Team / Earlybird Health Fund):
Deal sourcing and review, investment due diligence and portfolio support for the Health Fund. Each member of the Health team has unique expertise in a particular area of health, and my background is a PhD in molecular biology and postdoc in immuno-oncology. As part of the investment team I represent Earlybird in Germany and abroad. The UK is one of the largest biotech hubs in Europe, and by building on our existing connections, I actively expand our network and Earlybird’s presence in this region. On the operational side, I co-develop internal organizational structures for the Health team and its portfolio companies.
Cécile Tréboit (Investment Team / Earlybird Digital West Fund):
The deal flow, deal sourcing and analysis for the Digital West Fund. Everyone in the DWES team is building an expertise. Nina has expertise in FinTech/InsureTech; Paulina in Retail & Ecommerce infrastructure, AgTech & FoodTech; Marieke in Supply Chain & Logistics, EdTech and HRTech; Maresa in Digital Health, Consumer, Retail & Ecommerce; and Alice in Digital Health and Logistics. My expertise is in Gaming and Crypto/Web3 in Europe, and I am working on how to further develop this last stream in the best way, as it implies a slightly different investment approach. I am also especially responsible for deal sourcing in France, as I’m one of few native French speakers in the investment team. On the operational side, I help Salomon, my fellow French colleague, who leads a project to open our new French office. This involves everything from recruiting to branding Earlybird in the existing VC ecosystem. Apart from that, I am also responsible for creating and managing a stack of application partnerships for all of our portfolio companies, so that they can benefit from credits & promotions through Earlybird.
Natalia Ahmadian (Investment Team / Earlybird UNI-X Fund):
Mainly the deal flow for the UNI-X Fund. I’m at the beginning of the funnel, so I do many deal screenings and investment evaluations. When I think one is eligible for investment, I present the case to partners. I do many market screenings and industry deep dives to stay on top of technology and market trends. For UNI-X in particular, it’s absolutely important for Earlybird to be more present in the university startup ecosystem. So I frequently reach out to student entrepreneurs and collaborate with them on various projects, often as a jury or a mentor.
Elisheva Marcus (VP Communications, Marketing & Communications Team):
External communications at Earlybird and internal alignment. I support our portfolio companies by securing press coverage and amplifying their wins and milestones. I communicate our family of funds’ and teammate activities in a VC ecosystem layered with multiple stakeholders. This requires diplomacy. I ensure the Earlybird voice stays authentic across all our communication channels, developing and strategizing content while addressing multiple audiences and collaborators. In practice, that includes communicating with the general public, journalists, entrepreneurs as well as our team, partners, agencies, designers, etc. I also leverage my network to grow our community and build up new initiatives and ecosystem relationships.
I do my job because…
Vanessa: It challenges me everyday. And I have autonomy to implement something when I have a new idea. I learn new things everyday and it’s never boring. I’m constantly developing my expertise by taking extra courses on office management, HR, event management, labour law and IT support, which Earlybird supports financially. I’m very proud that I manage all IT-related technical tasks. To date, there are more men than women in the IT industry. And I feel super rewarded when I see my colleagues, including partners, have so much trust in me and simply appreciate my work.
Rabab: I work on cutting-edge technological innovation with highly intelligent, self-driven and accomplished individuals. It is rewarding to be a part of changing people’s lives while shaping the healthcare industry. Drive for my job comes from helping entrepreneurs — often ex-scientists — who are very passionate about building solutions that can fundamentally impact patient outcomes and the healthcare landscape.
Elisheva: I believe in storytelling and leveraging networks. I’m passionate about communication: written, visual, audio etc. Since I work among intelligent founders striving to solve big problems, it’s a narrative honey pot! You must tell your stories, otherwise your efforts go in vain no matter how fantastic your company is. It takes certain leadership to pull stories from different places and combine them into a powerful mixed content plan. I feel rewarded when journalists feature Earlybird or the portfolio companies, or when collaborating with colleagues on our Medium posts. I’m thrilled that Earlybird’s social presence is growing quickly and organically — meaning more people are interested in our perspectives. I’m motivated to connect people with opportunities: whether that means publicity, new hires, professional growth, or community recognition.
I’m most proud that…
Parisa: Cecile (Roulet-Veli) and I do bookkeeping completely in-house. In the past, it was partly outsourced to our tax office and they were responsible for the bookkeeping. Cecile and I discussed that we are actually more than capable of covering their part as well, although it adds more responsibility, so now we do everything in-house. The numbers are checked and everything is booked by ourselves. This way is much faster, and we simply have more control over it. Of course, it is more responsibility and pressure on us because we are the ones who are liable in the end. But we like it, and we’re very proud of it because it shows Earlybird trusts our capabilities and professionalism.
Cécile: My achievements are recognized and acknowledged. My first investment will be disclosed soon, and the second one is on its way to closing. I was very honored to be listed as one of Gen Z investors to follow by Sifted. At Earlybird, my thoughts are valued; my teammates and partners trust me in opening the French office, which I appreciate very much. I know they will keep encouraging me to push my boundaries — I’m an analyst now, but my objective is to get increasingly more responsibilities and maybe to become a partner in the coming years.
Natalia: Partners trust me a lot and assign me many responsibilities. Rather than specifying one certain event, I’m simply proud of my development and personal growth at Earlybird. In the beginning, I was quite shy being new to the VC industry, and also the only one from the Investment team. But all partners I work with are constantly encouraging me to share my opinion and to be more confident. Over time, in a very respectful and encouraging environment, I learned that my opinions are valued. My team is great. Now I feel confident and comfortable at speaking my mind in any situation, and I’m very proud of that.
To women out there who wish to join Earlybird…
Elisheva: This is the right time for women to try this industry. You should certainly leverage that. Just apply if you see a promising role. Connect the dots of your CV to prove how you align with the road ahead. Believe that you have the autonomy to shape a role in a way that fits both you and business needs in the best way possible. The diversity of tasks you will have is simply amazing, which makes work life definitely more fun.
Natalia: Believe in yourself and just reach out. Stay confident and be present in any situation. Even when you’re new to the industry, don’t let that intimidate you.
Cécile: The VC ecosystem is now trying hard to have more diversity and remove bias from decision-making processes. This is the right time to join the industry. I would advise you to build a network with women in VC, as there are many initiatives to change the status quo. The problem is that nobody teaches girls to dare, while boys are educated to grow way more confident. For instance, women usually will only apply to a new role when they see themselves as a 100% fit to a position, while men still try regardless. This difference in attitude needs to change.
Rabab: I know many amazing women, ex-colleagues or friends, in the life science industry that are very well accomplished. However, VC is not a career path they consider primarily due to its historically male-dominated and capitalistic image. This is unfortunate because these are people who can bring real change to this industry. In today’s world and based on my experience, for the healthcare industry and healthcare VCs in particular, knowledge is the discriminant factor and not gender. As women in VC, we are bringing more visibility to this topic.
Parisa: Have more confidence in yourself and your abilities; stand up for yourself. Don’t be afraid of making “mistakes” because that’s the only way to learn and develop. Sometimes you have to fight for your goals if you want to achieve something. So don’t be too shy and bring the right amount of assertiveness!
Vanessa: Don’t be afraid to switch industries. Have more confidence, show strength and self-trust. Simply be a strong woman. The VC industry is never calm. So be open to new things, be open-minded and flexible. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. We’re one team. And it’s all human work. If you make a mistake, you learn from it. Just try it!
Thanks for reading and getting to know some of the women at Earlybird. If you want to join the team, check out new opportunities here.
To read more about where and why we invest, head to Earlybird’s View. To keep up on news, team updates and portfolio activity, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Happy International Women’s Day (and week) to all.
Special thanks to Chin Park, our Marketing & Communications Working Student for interviewing teammates and contributing this piece! Photos by Alex Kleber.
