Costanoa Names Amy Cheetham its Newest Partner
By Greg Sands on behalf of the Costanoa Team
I’m beyond thrilled to announce that Amy Cheetham is now a Partner at Costanoa. (Truly, I’m dancing a little jig as I write.) Amy demonstrates the insight, drive, judgment and — above all — commitment to founders that are our hallmarks. With Amy as a Partner, we add an important voice to the firm’s decision making and expand our ability to support founders in fintech.
In her two years at Costanoa, Amy has led multiple investments, including Kevala, Highline and several companies not yet announced. She’s played a leadership role in expanding our fintechpractice to emerging markets, specifically Latin America and Africa. Her skill and talent have been instrumental in Costanoa’s expansion into an enterprise *and* fintech firm. She articulated themes, built a network and built relationships with founders who really wanted to work with us, and with her specifically.
Founders (and all of us) love Amy’s tenacity, clear and direct communication, incisive questions and ever-present wit. Her hustle prior to investment shows founders how she’ll work on their behalf. In the boardroom, the way she collaborates with founders and other board members has earned admiration and the kind of founder references that win deals. And it’s worth saying that she’s a great Twitter follow: @amyecheetham.
Having grown up in rural Maine, Amy exhibits its famous humility and desire to simply get work done. She rowed crew at Connecticut College, which shows up in her tenacity and teamwork. Her experience at JP Morgan and Summit Partners (where she sourced the firm’s investment in Podium) informs her ability to assess sectors, see opportunities and threats, and then weave that all together into investment judgment. Most recently, she joined Zuora as Chief of Staff, Sales Strategy & Operations to get hands-on operating experience that would make her a better investor. And it has.
Amy is also an advocate for both broader financial inclusion and for adding diverse perspectives to startups, on boards and in the venture community. Recognizing that roles in venture capital and private equity aren’t always widely distributed to applicants from a broad variety of backgrounds, she works with industry peers to run a VC careers job board at AllRaise.
Besides being a great investor, Amy is an incredible person. It’s that combination that made her the perfect addition to our partnership. We’re thrilled for her ongoing success as an investor and for Costanoa’s future with her leadership.
This article originally appeared on Costanoa Ventures’ website.
