Rachell Carrell grew up, as she describes it, "at the end of the world," in a small town in New Zealand. Wanting to learn more about the world, she earned a scholarship to Oxford, where she eventually got her PhD and became a political economist.

Rachel says one of her keys to decision making is the need to keep her options open. This led her to McKinsey and eventually a role as a CEO at Dr. Thom, an online doctor service.

Rachel founded Koru Kids, an online childcare resource. Before she began her startup, the risk-averse Rachel said she needed to have a solid foundation of a relationship, savings, and an idea. And when starting Koru Kids, she was torn between that idea and another.  It was a 5 minute conversation with her friend Alice Bentinck of Entrepreneur First that gave her that "aha' moment.

As with all our guests, Tara asks Rachel about balancing a career with family life.  Our guests discusses outsourcing some domestic responsibilities, and  "housekeeping standards as low as they can possibly be."   Rachel also talks about the pandemic, and how it led to a physical move she would never have expected.

Finally, we talk about the importance of having a large network, and why Rachel maintains that when seeking very specific advice.

Mentioned in this episode:

Koru Kids: https://www.korukids.co.uk/

Entrepreneur First: https://www.joinef.com/

OMERS Ventures Legal Disclaimers: https://www.omersventures.com/Legal-and-Disclaimers

The Unplanned Podcast is produced by JAG in Detroit Podcasts: https://jagindetroit.com/

In this episode, Creandum General Partner Simon Schmincke takes us on his journey from photographer to VC, and the interesting path along the way.

Simon talks about the importance of relationships, however they start.  He tells us about his connecting with Ciarán O'Leary, and how much he learned from him. He also explains the serendipitous way he met his now wife, in an American airport. 

Simon's adventures in venture took him from his native Germany to Southeast Asia, New York, Berlin, and Sweden, with stints at Hello Fresh, Earlybird, and more.  He says his decision-making process for these big life moves comes down to a simple question.  When I wake up in the morning, do I like what I'm doing?

Tara asks Simon what appealed to him about the world of VC, and what advice he'd give to someone who wants to get into the field.  Our guest also talks about the emotional side to venture capital, which is often overlooked.

We also cover the pandemic and how COVID-19 has affected both business and personal relationships, and how Creandum is working through it.  

As with all guests, we discuss work-life balance, and the ground rules Simon and his wife use in terms of business travel and time spent working from home.

Mentioned in this episode:

Creandum: https://www.creandum.com/

Hello Fresh: https://www.hellofresh.com/

Earlybird: https://earlybird.com/

OMERS Ventures Legal Disclaimers: https://www.omersventures.com/Legal-and-Disclaimers

The Unplanned Podcast is produced by JAG in Detroit Podcasts: https://jagindetroit.com/

Check Warner, a partner at ADA Ventures, joins us today to discuss her journey, first leaving a marketing career to join Downing Ventures, then leaving Downing to start her own fund with her partner Matt Penneycard.

When Check first left the marketing world, getting her parents' approval was important to her. She discusses the long email she wrote them, trying to combat any anticipated objections.

Our guest also walks us through some of the career tools she uses, including multiple short and long term plans, as well as checklists.  Check's checklists serve as both a blueprint for the ADA team, as well as an primer on the company website for potential investors.

Finally, Tara and Check discuss her desire to make the VC world more accessible. With full knowledge that most people don't have £150,000 to invest, Check talks about her efforts with Diversity VC, a non-profit partnership promoting diversity in Venture Capital.

Mentioned in this episode:

ADA Ventures: https://www.adaventures.com/

Diversity VC: https://www.diversity.vc/

Downing Ventures: https://www.downingventures.com/

Better, a book by Atul Gawande: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Surgeons-Performance-Atul-Gawande/dp/0312427654

OMERS Ventures Legal Disclaimers: https://www.omersventures.com/Legal-and-Disclaimers

The Unplanned Podcast is produced by JAG in Detroit Podcasts: https://jagindetroit.com/

Panni Morshedi's journey began as a child in Iran, before her family moved to New York. Since, she's been to Malta, London, and seemingly everywhere in between.  She's had large roles in the Fintech industry at Wonga and Funding Circle, before leaving to join startup Beauty Pie.

Panni explains what went into the decision to leave Fintech for Beauty Pie.  There was a mix of evaluating the company, realizing that she likes the idea of disruption, and even some gut instinct.  She also discusses the building phase of a new company, and why systems and platforms must be in place at this time.

Tara and Panni also spend some time discussing support systems - both in the office and at home. Panni was fortunate to have buy-in from her employers throughout her fertility journey - from miscarriages to ultimately giving birth to her son.   She also discusses the value of family. Her husband and parents worked with her, as a mom, as she balanced home life with her career.

Finally, Panni talks about the hiring and firing process.  She believes you should always hire people who are "better" than you, and you shouldn't wait to terminate an employee who isn't working out. Panni explains why she believes in both of these.

Mentioned in this episode:

Beauty PIe: https://www.beautypie.com/

Funding Circle: https://www.fundingcircle.com/

OMERS Ventures Legal Disclaimers: https://www.omersventures.com/Legal-and-Disclaimers

The Unplanned Podcast is produced by JAG in Detroit Podcasts: https://jagindetroit.com/

Hi there! I’m Tara Reeves from OMERS Ventures. We are so excited to tell you about a new podcast series we are launching, called Unplanned: Adventures in Venture. The genesis of the idea was born when I realized I was having fascinating discussions with people through the course of my work. Everyone could benefit from hearing these perspectives, but sadly, we often miss great stories when we get bogged down in our day to day lives, especially now. 

In our conversations, my guests – both founders and investors - talk about the critical decision points in their lives and the challenges they’ve overcome to get them where they are today. The way people make big decisions varies tremendously, and there is something to be learned from everyone. Please do join me for Season 1 of Unplanned: Adventures in Venture.  Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts.