New to the Pi Labs Family: Meet Daniel, Sophie, Andy and Levi!
As the world shut down for COVID back in early March, we were in the fortunate position to be fresh off the first close of our latest fund and began actively searching for passionate individuals to join us in our mission to grow the largest global property tech ecosystem.
Like so many others, our company quickly transitioned to a WFH format, meaning our new team members all had to on-board virtually. An unusual experience for all — but we made the best of it and 6 months later, we’ve added four new members to the Pi Labs family! We recently had the chance to meet in-person (prior to the new government guidelines!) and asked our new team members to share a little bit about themselves…
Let us introduce you to: Daniel, Sophie, Andy and Levi! Over to them…
Daniel Salzner, Investment Associate:
What does your new role at Pi Labs entail?
I’ve recently joined the investment team at Pi Labs as an Associate. I’m working across direct fund investments, accelerator investments and portfolio management of our existing companies. Having this type of exposure from sourcing an investment all the way to being actively involved in the scale-up journey post-investment is amazing as it allows me to also utilise and further develop a variety of different skillsets.
What were you doing before you joined Pi Labs?
A mixture of startup and VC. Prior to Pi Labs, I worked at a London based FinTech/PropTech startup called Selina Finance where I helped scale the company from 5–35 FTE’s and through a £42m Series A fundraise. Before that I gained work experience at another fund called Balderton Capital and also worked for another Munich based PropTech startup called Limehome. I did an MSc in Management at the London Business School and a BSc in Business at Drexel University.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get into the VC world?
It’s a tough question to answer as there isn’t a linear path to get into VC (also this differs between the stage the VC invests in). However, a couple of general insights from my experience would be:
- Genuinely be curious about startups and innovation
- Develop some of your own opinions about a sector or technology that interests you and be able to talk about it
- Network, network, network. Utilise LinkedIn, connect with people in the industry and try to set up coffee chats (or Zoom calls)
- Subscribe to VC/startup job newsletters like Stephan Von Perger and John Gannon Blog
- Join free programs like Future VC, Founders of the Future, etc. which will help you build the relevant network and knowledge
Reading, watching, or listening to anything good?
Too many good books/podcasts/movies to choose from so I will give my recent favorites:
Reading: Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking, Short History of Europe from Pericles to Putin by Simon Jenkins, Innovation Blind Spot by Ross Baird.
Podcasts: Venture Stories by Village Global, a16z, The Joe Rogan Experience.
Netflix: The Last Dance (Michael Jordan), and Mystery Lab.
What do you do to relax and create time for yourself?
- In the winter skiing, reading and drinking Glühwein!
- In the summer kitesurfing and drinking Spritz!
Sophie Payne, Marketing Associate:
What does your new role at Pi Labs entail?
We’re a small team so while I’ve officially joined the Marketing team, my role is far reaching, cross-functional, and almost everyday is different. My days revolve mostly around all things branding, communications, events, community initiatives, and strategic projects.
What were you doing before you joined Pi Labs?
I’ve had a mix of startup and traditional real estate experience, positioning me well for a role within a company that sits at the centre of tech and real estate! Before joining Pi Labs I worked on the build of a luxury e-commerce platform at Condé Nast; on the business development of fashion tech start-up HEWI London; and most recently within the traditional property sector.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get into the VC world?
For me, getting as much experience working with startups was crucial in my journey into VC. It meant that I had a demonstrable understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and of scaling early stage businesses. It also helps to be passionate about the space you’re in — I’m a big advocate for living a sustainable lifestyle so it was important for me to join an organisation with similar values. Pi Labs’ stance on ESG was a big pull factor for me (and we’re now actually working to solidify our position on this — watch this space!).
Reading, watching, or listening to anything good?
Reading: A Monk’s guide to Happiness by Gelong Thubten — for a relatable and rational read on how to cultivate happiness through mindfulness and meditation — even in our busy tech-infused lives.
Watching: One Strange Rock — for learning about all of the unique circumstances that had to occur for the world to be what it is! And as a reminder of how delicate and precise the ecosystem we enjoy today is (also just for the incredible cinematography and narration from Will Smith!).
Listening: How to Fail by Elizabeth Day — for learning that knock-backs in life make us who we are and for learning that failing is actually learning how to succeed better!
What do you do to relax and create time for yourself?
There has never been such a difficult time to do this given that our home spaces have turned into our workplaces too! I’m lucky to live close to a park and I try to get out there as much as I can to break up the day and move. During the pandemic I struggled with everything being online — work, social life, exercise. While that had its advantages, I do try to take time away from screens and go fully offline. I’ve also recently discovered the power of breathwork (yes breathing!) and its helping me deal with stress day to day. It’s actually something that we’re now incorporating into our programme for founders through monthly sessions guided by a breathwork expert.
Andy Saull, Research Associate:
What does yours new role at Pi Labs entail?
I like to think of myself as the eyes and ears of the organisation, seeing and hearing what is happening in the real estate industry and researching how emerging technology can be applied to garnish any opportunities which may present themselves. That said, I’m always keen to learn new skills, and the enthusiastic culture of Pi Labs has you involved in all facets of the business.
What were you doing before you joined Pi Labs?
I was a research assistant at Oxford University’s Future of Real Estate Initiative, where under the tutelage of Professor Andrew Baum I co-authored the publications The Future of Real Estate Transactions, The Future of Real Estate Occupation and PropTech 2020: the Future of Real Estate. While researching, I was also studying for my Masters in Sustainable Urban Development, in which I wrote my thesis on the barriers to smart building technology adoption.
Prior to that I played professional rugby for 10 years, winning the English Premiership with Saracens in 2011 and representing England Second XV on multiple occasions.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get into the VC world?
I am a firm believer that if you open enough doors and walk down enough paths, you’ll end up where you are meant to be. I never aimed get involved in VC, but I had a drive to get to know everybody I could and never said no to an opportunity should it present itself, which slowly but surely led me from Rugby, to Oxford and now Pi Labs. I am not from a VC background, so to draw comparison, the same is true of most people I talk to in Real Estate who all started their careers in very different industries. Just reach out to your network, no matter how tedious the link may be, meet lots of people in the industry and don’t be afraid to go down a path that may feel unnatural, as its all a learning curve and one day you’ll look back and realise that it was the correct path all along.
Reading, watching, or listening to anything good?
My job involves a lot of reading and so I tend to step away from books in my personal life. However, if you want to know any good research reports , then I’m ya guy!
I tend to watch documentaries, films and sports. The Last Dance about the Chicago Bulls basketball team was great and I am currently fixated by rock stars and their lifestyles. If you’ve not seen Oasis Supersonic then do, but avoid the Kurt Cobain documentary — it’s seriously weird and quite disturbing … almost as weird as the last film I saw, Tenet.
As above, music is my passion. If I had my time again I’d join a band. I’m into practically anything mainstream, although lockdown has really expanded my music taste and I’ve been into a lot of old school American blues and soul. That said, the song of the summer had to be Paul Woolford, Looking for Me … a feet in sand, cocktail in hand, good for morale tune.
What do you do to relax and create time for yourself?
Anything. I love new experiences and variation, and as I said before, I’m never one to say no to any invite. Both the best and worst thing I’ve done in lockdown was cycle from London to Brighton and back with an old rugby pal one weekend. We had 2 punctures, one broken chain, one broken phone, one damaged eye, one argument with a bad driver and it took us twice a long because of the torrential weather, but the way back was great and we stopped in the sun for a few countryside beers! I’ve spent my day to day sharpening up my guitar playing, cooking, running, re-connecting with old pals and getting to know the restaurants of North London.
Levi Levenfiche, Head of Capital Raising:
What does your new role at Pi Labs entail?
As Head of Capital Raising, I am responsible for overseeing Pi Lab’s fundraising activity. I work closely with existing and prospective investors and am currently spending most of my time closing out the raise of our current fund: Pi Labs Fund III.
What were you doing before you joined Pi Labs?
Prior to working for Pi Labs, I was an Associate at Hodes Weill & Associates, a global placement agent focused on real estate private equity funds. At Hodes Weill, I was responsible for new business origination and for project management in Europe.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get into the VC world?
This advice applies to anybody looking to break into a new sector: be proactive about the process and do not hesitate to reach out to random industry members via LinkedIn, other social platforms, or through your existing network. In addition, do not hesitate to ask ‘stupid’ questions, it is better to be open and to fill knowledge gaps than to fly blind. However, be sure to take the extra steps and make the effort to research people and prepare your questions/story in advance of setting up a call.
Reading, watching, or listening to anything good?
Reading: Tim Marshall — Prisoners of Geography
Watching: Handmaid’s Tale: Season 3
Podcast Listening: WSJ What’s News, The Prof G Show, Slow Burn
Music Listening: Blues, Country, Hip-Hop
What do you do to relax and create time for yourself?
Work out, play football, play guitar, meditate, drink matcha.
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