In this episode, we’re joined by Molly Fowler (Founding GP) and Sydney Hertz '24 (Investment Partner) from Dorm Room Fund, a VC firm investing in student-led startups. We discuss Molly’s journey from campaign manager to founding GP, along with the genesis and strategic focus of the fund. We also dive into how they evaluate opportunities at the earliest stages, what student founders can do to stand out, and how aspiring investors should be spending their time to take their careers to the next level.

Please visit the Lang Entrepreneurship Center to learn more about the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Business School.

In this episode, we’re joined by Rob Hayes (CBS ‘95), a board partner at First Round Capital. Rob shares his journey from product manager to VC partner, including early investments in companies like Uber and Square. Rob shares insights into the evolution of seed-stage investing, current market dynamics for early-stage founders, and a framework for how to evaluate companies at this stage.

Please visit the Lang Entrepreneurship Center to learn more about the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Business School.

In this episode, we welcome Paul Canetti, CEO and co-founder of Skej, an AI-powered personal scheduling assistant. Paul discusses the transformative role that generative AI is playing in the startup and technology ecosystem today, challenges and opportunities for founders who are leveraging this technology, and insights into how entrepreneurs and investors should be thinking about defensibility and future innovation in the space.

Please visit the Lang Entrepreneurship Center to learn more about the entrepreneurship program at Columbia Business School.