Why I Joined Ascent Venture Partners

Hi everyone! Yet another VC hiring announcement coming your way…

I’ve joined the Ascent Venture Partners team as a Senior Associate! It’s only been a month but I can already tell I’m surrounded by a top notch team of smart and caring people.

Actually, there’s more to my joining than meets the eye. Ascent hasn’t hired any investment team members in 10 years! It’s a special place, and it hasn’t taken long to figure that out; the other day I learned that Ascent is the only company our executive admin has worked at, and she’s been working here for 16 years. In other words, Ascent is a close knit family, people love working here, but they don’t hire often.

Frankly I’m surprised they even remembered how to recruit a Senior Associate! Just kidding – they actually tracked some interesting data about the recruiting process which Matt is going to share in an upcoming blog post.

Now, a little about me:

I’ve been learning the VC business for more than four years, at two incredible firms: OpenView Venture Partners and ClearSky Power and Technology Fund.

At OpenView, I was on a team of associates, learning how to source deals and make investment decisions. Given all they do is B2B software investments, I became a SaaS expert. Seriously, ask me anything! At OpenView, I made investments in SwiftStack, Lesson.ly, and Logikcull.

Prior to OpenView, I started my VC career at ClearSky. I like to say I found the only VC job in South Florida. Needless to say, we got on planes a lot! At ClearSky, I focused on cybersecurity investments, such as Cylance and Resilient Systems.

I feel compelled to let you know I also spent two years as an investment banker. Which means I developed thick skin, but also I know a thing or two about financial modelling and writing memos.

I first connected with Luke at Ascent because I was interested in getting the inside scoop on one of their portfolio companies. That’s usually how relationships begin in VC. I became acquainted with the Ascent team over a period of months, and I knew I had stumbled upon something very special. I got to know each of Ascent’s partners as individuals, but felt their collective and authentic commitment to supporting and elevating their entrepreneurs, and each other.

Ascent recently closed their sixth fund and celebrated their 31st anniversary. They have stayed focused and disciplined despite booms and busts (and nonsense talk of “unicorns”). Over the years, they have helped support and grow B2B IT companies to become category leaders.

Luckily, I now get to ride on the coattails of decades of success and reputation Ascent has built. I am privileged to join the Ascent family of investors and companies, and hope to listen and help, as well as bring a fresh perspective. I’ll be tracking market trends, making new investments, and learning how to be an effective board member. I’ll also be blogging, organizing events, and connecting interesting people.

My job is to connect the dots. To do that, I talk to a lot of people. If you have something to chat about, I’ll likely have an opinion – please don’t hesitate to reach out!