Staking Out Success with Selina Troesch Munster of Touchdown Ventures

In our latest episode of Demo Day produced by CoEfficient Labs, we sat down (in separate homes, of course) with Selina Troesch Munster, Principal at Touchdown Ventures and former competitive dancer, to talk corporate venture capital and how to manage chaos. Well-acquainted with the ebb and flow of the economy, Selina offers advice on how to cope with the economic downturn amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

What is Corporate Venture Capital?

Unlike venture capital (VC) funds, corporate ventures (CVC) are funds owned by a single company interested in investing in startups. Touchdown Ventures collaborates with these corporations to provide financial discipline to their investments and goals.

Selina’s Tips for Leveraging your Circumstances

Build Your Network. Now Keep Building.

As a University of Southern California alum and current adjunct professor at the USC Marshall School of Business, Selina quickly realized that a broad network provides unparalleled opportunity for advancing one’s career. It was through a series of connections that Selina met the president and her future boss at Touchdown Ventures. She advises her students to take advantage of their youth, for what better place to tap into an educated and eclectic network than on a college campus?

However, networking doesn’t just stop after graduation. Maintaining solid relationships is key. Selina notes that as a company, Touchdown Ventures values working intimately with a variety of industries and sectors in order to expand their network of corporations and assist in overlaps for a win-win-win situation.

So, be there for your peers. And let them be there for you.

Hone Your Process.

Selina learned that in the competitive dance world, it is important to have a process, work through that process and master your skill. The same could be said for the world of venture capital. Understanding the fundamentals and refining those skills are the best ways to equip oneself for catastrophe. Know that there will always be uncertainties, but the only risk is diving in unprepared. Management should be transparent about the roles of their employees and evaluate their strengths in order to most efficiently integrate them into the company’s process.

Adapt.

No process is complete without the ability to adapt. Selina learned this as she transitioned from competitive ballet, tap and jazz to competitive ballroom, where, as a follower, the name of the game is trust and adjust. While an individual can and should have an opinion, one should also approach the business with humility. We can’t know everything, and it is easy to become disoriented during a crisis. The ability to accommodate allows for strategic problem-solving when things don’t go according to plan.

And if the last few months have shown us anything, it’s that things rarely do.

Want to Learn More?

You can watch Selina’s full video interview on our Demo Day website, or listen to her full episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Tune in next week with CoEfficient Labs as we continue to navigate these crazy times together!

Thanks Melissa Pelowki for putting together these insights :)