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​After our last issue, a handful of you reached out, sharing that you’re struggling emotionally because of what’s happening in the world - recession, racism, abortion rights, gun violence, and more. I want to make space for all of it. So, today’s issue is dedicated to you and anyone else who is not feeling 100% right now.

​Soona Amhaz (Volt Capital), Dr. Cheryl Ingram (Inclusology), Maximiliano Casal and Alfonso de los Ríos (Nowports)

​I hope you’ve been doing alright. I’ve also been so-so because of sadness over George Floyd’s and my dad’s death anniversaries, I just can’t with people wanting to decide what women can and can’t do with our bodies, and I've had PTSD from the last recession triggered. That's a lot and it's heavy but we can't let bad things consume us. One way I've found to keep the bad from eating us up and make it to the other side of a dark tunnel: process feelings, identify learned lessons and find the silver lining.

​Below I share with you how I process my feelings and find the silver lining with the intentions that it will help you in tough moments.

​1/ Sit in and process feelings. 2008-2009 was a rough period. I lost my dad, my family went through bankruptcy and lost everything, I took on the role of matriarch (I’m the oldest of 3), and had a cancer scare. It was super hard. I kept hearing my dad (in my head) saying “echale ganas,” give it all you’ve got, and “take care of the family [...] things will get better.” His words both terrified me and gave me strength for years. I’m not unscathed. It hurts my heart to think back on what happened. And yet my dad was right; things do get better. I have been able to be there for my family and we're doing a lot better.

​2/ Identify learned lessons. This experience taught me that:

1. ​help those we care for - family, friends, and community - because it brings the most strength and joy into our hearts

2. ​things can be difficult but not insurmountable

3. ​trials and tribulations forge the kind of resiliency that’s the gift that keeps giving

​3/ Find the silver lining. My family and I survived 2008-2009 and it made us more resilient than ever. And the resiliency I've learned will allow me to overcome obstacles; continue to support my family; and achieve my vision of creating generational wealth in community. I will do that by building Ganas Ventures into a firm that puts community first and backs the best community-driven founders and companies with ganas. I'm bullish that our portfolio companies and their founders will prove to be resilient (even more so in this market), produce outsized returns, and collectively change the narrative of venture capital.

​Now, it's your turn. What are your silver linings?

​

​✨ Lolita Taub
twitter | luma | ICYMI I was in Forbes, TechCrunch, and FastCompany recently.

PS Life is not always going to be unicorns and rainbows and that's alright. You, me, all of us will get through it all, together.

​Congrats

​Alfonso de los Ríos and Maximiliano Casal raised $150M for Nowports. Soona Amhaz raised $50M for Volt Capital’s Fund II. Angela Acosta raised $5M for Morado. Cheryl Ingram, PhD raised $1M for Inclusology. Pime Pardo became Partner at ALLVP. Brian Dixon and Ulili Onovakpuri became Managing Partner at Kapor Capital. Cheraé Robinson joined Flybridge as Head of Community. Dominic Madori is the new Senior VC and Startups Reporter for TechCrunch.

​

​Sponsored | SVB Startup Banking is a community of former founders, operators, and investors passionate about supporting founders on their path to success. Beyond banking, we work with early-stage founders to help them navigate the challenges of funding and scaling a startup from Day 1. Please reach out to connect with us! We'd love to learn more about what you're building and how we can help. - Rochelle & Vanessa

​Funders

​Harlem Capital | VCs interested in Web 3: check out this report by Harlem Capital showing stats on underestimated founders in the Web 3 space

​LAVCA | VCs interested in LATAM: get the breakdown on YOY investment growth in LATAM and how Q1’22 stacks up

​Startup-Investor Matching Tool | VCs: meet thesis-aligned underrepresented founders

​GP-LP Matching Tool | LPs: get thesis-aligned intros to underrepresented GPs

​Sponsored | Ready to accelerate your business to the next level in retail? Get connected to the Target Accelerators team whose mission is to engage founders who are looking to grow into mass retail through unmatched mentorship, comprehensive coursework, and collaborative cohorts.

​Founders

​Lenny Rachitsky | Founders focused on growth: learn what VCs say about growth rates and keep this handy chart on file

​Olivia Moore | Marketplace founders: discover why you should be paying attention to GMV retention if you aren’t already doing so

​Asking for a founder | Pre-seed founders: get some advice from your peers on how to navigate the next part of your journey

​LaaS | Underrepresented founders: get resources made for you

​Sponsored | Private Equity has traditionally only been available to the ultra-wealthy. Now with Aqua, you can choose from a selection of exclusive, top-tier PE funds. Aqua’s platform enables a seamless investing experience with low minimums and lowest-in-industry fees.

​Money

​Newlab | Energy tech founders: apply for grants totaling $240k by 6/1

​Visible Hands | Latinx founders: apply for $10k in funding by 6/24

​SoGal Foundation | Black female founders: apply for $5-$10K in grants

​1863 Ventures | Black founders: apply to get a 3Rs $5K grant

​Non-dilutive capital | Create a profile to find non-dilutive capital

​Equity Crowdfunding | Raise up to $5 million

​Startup-Investor Matching Tool | Founders: get intros to investors

​Jobs

​EcoMap Technologies | Head of Customer Success (Baltimore, MD)

​Ganas Ventures | PT Associate (Remote, US)

​​​Ganas Ventuers | PT Community Manager (Remote, US)

​Pollen | Founding Product Designer (NYC, New York/Remote, US)

​Dentsu International | Associate Director, Startup Pipeline (Remote, US)

​💥 See all open roles and post yours here.

​Want more? Follow me @lolitataub and let me know how I can help. Want to support our newsletter and get featured? Become a sponsor.