AI is vastly transforming the market landscape, and that includes the venture capital space. Scott Kelly sits down with Alana Mann of Eleven Wall Ventures, a seed fund investing in visionary founders focused on vertical AI and the application layer. Together, they break down the advantage of intentionally investing outside of major hubs to find better valuations and support capital-efficient growth. Alana also shares how they utilize AI tools to improve their investing strategies, as well as what’s in store for the ever-evolving digital world in 2026.

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Investing and storytelling are two vastly different industries, but Jai Khanna made them work together flawlessly. He joins Scott Kelly to share about his winning strategies behind Victory Media, a platform focused on evergreen sports stories, and Victory Ventures, an investment firm dedicated to founder-led consumer brands. He explains their approaches to telling athlete stories beyond the field and making brand endorsements more authentic. Learn how to take the reins of media distribution and achieve long-term stability in your ventures.

Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com

In this ever-evolving digital age, AI continues to touch and massively transform a wide range of industries. Healthcare is no exception, and it is slowly becoming an exciting place to invest in. Diving into the world of AI-powered healthcare innovation with Scott Kelly is Doug Nissinoff of Intelligence Ventures. Together, they unpack the many investment opportunities found in biotech, pharma, medical devices, diagnostics, and healthcare software as a service. Doug also shares how their fund primarily invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups while prioritizing grit and personal mission when choosing founders to work with.

Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com

What are the essential factors to consider to find success in early-stage VC? For Ross Fubini of XYZ Venture Capital, three things come to mind: the surf, the surfer, and the wave. He joins Scott Kelly to discuss how this unique metaphor unfolds the importance of market and execution in venture capital and startup success. Ross also discusses how to navigate the unstoppable rise of AI tools, which he calls the tide, not to simply glow with the flow but also to differentiate yourself from the competition. Tune in to get a deeper understanding of venture capital from the perspective of the most promising early-stage companies right now.

Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com

With the advent of AI and the seemingly endless innovation of technology, the future of commerce could be tremendously exciting. This is why OpenSky Ventures strategically invests in commerce enablement technology and disruptive consumer brands. Joining Scott Kelly is Stephanie Nwokolo, a Principal at OpenSky, to talk all about their fund and the powerful synergy between portfolio companies. She explains how their firm’s founders leverage decades-long experiences and a deep professional network to find promising early-stage founders who are making huge waves in the modern world of commerce.

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Scott Kelly takes a break from featuring venture capital firms to highlight the largest and most global gathering of leaders, investors, and startups in real estate and construction tech. He sits down with Martin Kelly, President of Blueprint, who shares how this event shakes up the worlds of proptech and Contech. He discusses how the massive, technology-slow real estate market is finally seeing successful unicorn companies emerge despite many market pressures. Martin also explains why startups should understand their unfair advantage and partner with the right investors to secure huge success and create a real market disruption.

Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com

Neace Ventures is focused on passionate entrepreneurs who are receptive to new ideas and have a clear vision for successful exits. Scott Kelly sits down with their founder John Neace, who shares the importance of making investments that align with enjoyment, transparency, and a clear understanding of time horizons. He explains how this focus enables them to diversify into various sectors, including sports, food and beverages, building, trucking, and insurance. John also talks about understanding the risks in communicating openly and not letting failures in the market consume you.

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C2 Ventures has an interesting investment strategy many may never have heard before: focusing on dirty, dull, and dangerous startups. Scott Kelly chats with their General Partner Matt Olivo, who discusses the benefits of targeting these overlooked and underserved markets. He explains their investments in early-stage SaaS and robotic companies, highlighting the importance of using AI as an engine rather than as the product itself. Matt also discusses how they maintain a disciplined approach to evaluation, even during market bubbles, to continue generating outperforming returns.

Learn from the world's best VC Fund Managers at the Emerging Managers Podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://emergingmanagerspodcast.com