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The Honest Company, the packaged consumer goods company founded by actor Jessica Alba and serial entrepreneur Brian Lee in 2011, filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday to go public.
Selling everything from eco-friendly diapers to skincare products, it has never turned a profit. The Santa Monica-based brand is seeking to raise $100 million by going public, a move which it has flirted with several times during its past few tumultuous years. It will trade on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "HNST."
<p>The SEC filing reveals Honest recorded a net loss of $14.5 million last year, which was hardly unusual. It has carried over $243 million in losses since 2017.</p><p>"We have incurred net losses each year since our inception and we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability in the future," the filing warns. </p><p>Honest revealed it increased gross margins by 35.9% last year with revenue soaring by 27.6%, to $300.5 million in 2020 from $235.6 million in 2019. The wellness category did especially well, bolstered by the pandemic which drove sale of disinfecting and sanitizing products. Revenue in that category skyrocketed 116%.</p><p>Much of Honest's business hinges on its partnership with two mega retailers, which accounted for 45% of its revenue last year. And 70% of all retail sales came from Target and Costco, where the company is competing for shelf space against larger, more well-funded brands.</p><p>"The loss of our relationship with Target, Costco or any other large retail partner could have a significant impact on our revenue," the filing warns. "We also face severe competition to display our products on store shelves and obtain optimal presence on those shelves. Due to the intense competition for limited shelf space, retailers are in a position to negotiate favorable terms of sale, including price discounts, allowances and product return policies."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjAzNjk4Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDA3MDAxNn0.Buv3y4DXQFq6zB9-qW6274odj-cc8Nhx5MUgyV89SPo/image.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C43%2C0%2C9&height=700"
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</p><p>Honest <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-05/alba-startup-said-to-work-with-goldman-morgan-stanley-on-ipo" target="_blank">was rumored to be preparing an IPO in 2016</a>, and <a href="https://dot.la/brian-lee-los-angeles-venture-capital-2645125301.html" target="_self">Lee</a>, who departed in 2017, reportedly had been thinking about it since 2014, but after soaring growth in its infancy, the company struggled amidst quality control problems and investors who had grown wary of direct-to-consumer businesses that had to compete against the likes of Amazon.<br/></p><p>In 2015, Honest became a unicorn, valued at $1.7 billion. But two years later it was raised a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/05/honest-company-may-be-raising-a-down-round/" target="_blank">dreaded down round</a> amidst stagnating revenue.</p><p>Several incidents tarnished its central marketing promise as a safe alternative to traditional brands. The company <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/honest-co-recalls-organic-baby-powder-sold-in-u-s-1484174959?mod=article_inline" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">voluntary recalled its baby powder</a> and baby wipes in 2017 after concerns they could cause skin and eye infections. The year before, it <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jessica-albas-honest-co-to-drop-use-of-disputed-ingredient-1475268339?mod=article_inline" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reformulated its laundry detergent</a> after reports that it misled consumers about ingredients. </p><p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/4019474/did-unilever-just-leave-jessica-albas-honest-company-standing-at-the-altar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Unliever was reportedly close to buying Honest in 2016</a> but ultimately decided to acquire one of its main competitors, Seventh Generation. </p>
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Jessica Alba's The Honest Company is quietly preparing to file an initial public offering, Bloomberg reported. The personal and baby care products brand could seek a valuation of $2 billion, anonymous sources shared with Bloomberg.
The company could reportedly go public as soon as Friday. The Honest Co. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
<p>Alba, known for her roles in "Fantastic Four" and "Dark Angel," co-founded Honest in 2012 with former chief executive Brian Lee, chief operating officer Sean Kane and former chief product officer Christopher Gavigan. In its first year, the company reached $12 million in revenue.</p><p>The Los Angeles-based company <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-05/alba-startup-said-to-work-with-goldman-morgan-stanley-on-ipo" target="_blank">was rumored to be preparing an IPO in 2016</a>, and <a href="https://dot.la/brian-lee-los-angeles-venture-capital-2645125301.html" target="_self">Lee</a>, co-founder of the company, reportedly has been thinking about it since 2014. However, Honest hit some speed bumps that year when <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/laundry-detergent-from-jessica-albas-honest-co-contains-ingredient-it-pledged-to-avoid-1457647350" target="_blank">The Wall Street Journal reported</a> the company was using an ingredient in their detergent they had "pledged to avoid." The following year, the company recalled its baby wipes and faced a class action lawsuit about its products' chemical makeup.<br/></p><p>The Honest Co. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/05/honest-company-may-be-raising-a-down-round/" target="_blank">was reportedly raising a down round in 2017</a>, at a valuation much lower than $1 billion. Lee also stepped down as CEO, and former Clorox chief operating officer Nick Vlahos took his place as Honest turned to focus on the core products that brought their early success. </p><p>"As we continue pursuing our mission to inspire everyone to love living consciously, we regularly explore all various financial strategies and options," a representative for Honest <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-29/alba-s-honest-co-said-to-file-confidentially-for-ipo-friday?srnd=deals" target="_blank">said in a statement to Bloomberg</a>. Bloomberg also reported that L Catterton, an investor in Honest, declined to comment.</p><p>According to PitchBook, the company has raised over $500 million in funding. Its investors also include IVP, Lightspeed Venture Partners and General Catalyst.</p>
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Though Silicon Valley is still very much the capital of venture capital, Los Angeles is home to plenty of VCs who have made their mark – investing in successful startups early and reaping colossal returns for their limited partners.
Who stands out? We thought there may be no better judge than their peers, so we asked 28 of L.A.'s top VCs who impresses them the most.
<p>The list includes many familiar names. Dana Settle, founding partner of Greycroft, and Mark Mullen, founding partner of Bonfire Ventures, garnered the most votes.</p><p>Settle manages West Coast operations for Greycroft, a New York firm with $1.8 billion in assets under management. She is one of only nine of the top 100 VCs nationally who are women, <a href="https://thenextweb.com/tech/2019/01/25/male-white-venture-capitalist-gender-diversity/" target="_blank">according to CB Insights</a>.</p><p>Mullen is a founding partner of Bonfire Ventures, which <a href="https://dot.la/bonfire-ignites-100-million-b2b-fund-ii-exclusive-2647540605.html" target="_self">closed a $100 million second fund in September</a> to continue funding seed stage business-to-business (B2B) software startups. Mullen has also been an angel investor and is an LP in other funds focusing on other sectors, including MaC VC and BAM Ventures.</p><p>Below is the list of the top ranked investors by how many votes each received from their peers. When there was a tie, they appear in alphabetical order according to their last name: </p>
<p class=""><em>Lead art by Candice Navi.</em></p>
<img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDczODYwMX0.YmEjdiEcmomKs2kGbwaij7EwLO-_0n7rbLJH0WIbz9U/image.jpg?width=489&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=574"
id="b27ce"
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height="574"
data-rm-shortcode-id="748dc042dcb64ccd20d3c6fdc03bbd0c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Mark Mullen, Bonfire Ventures" />
Mark Mullen, Bonfire Ventures
<p>Mark Mullen is a founding partner of Bonfire Ventures. He is also founder and the largest investor in Mull Capital and Double M Partners, LP I and II. A common theme in these funds is a focus on business-to-business media and communications infrastructures.</p><p>In the past, Mullen has served as the chief operating officer at the city of Los Angeles' Economic Office and a senior advisor to former Mayor Villaraigosa, overseeing several of the city's assets including Los Angeles International Airport and the Los Angeles Convention Center. Prior to that, he was a partner at Daniels & Associates, a senior banker when the firm sold to RBC Capital Markets in 2007.</p><img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzkyMzY3M30.mwdhgMwXhAoWGxEFAbEiH0D1L2gYTN2vwPbOR6YPbp0/image.jpg?width=980"
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data-rm-shortcode-id="321ac894a0c92c9b7e6219af02145843" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Dana Settle, Greycroft" />
Dana Settle, Greycroft
<p>Dana Settle is a founding partner of Greycroft, heading the West Coast office in Los Angeles. She currently manages the firm's stakes in Anine Bing, AppAnnie, Bird, Clique, Comparably, Goop, Happiest Baby, Seed, Thrive Market, Versed and WideOrbit, and is known for backing female-founded companies.</p><p>"The real change takes place when female founders build bigger, independent companies, like Stitchfix, TheRealReal," she said this time last year in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greycrofts-dana-settle-on-closing-funding-gap-for-female-founders-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an interview with Business Insider</a>. "They're creating more wealth across their cap tables and the cap tables tend to be more diverse, so that gives more people opportunity to become an angel investor." Prior to founding Greycroft, she was a venture capitalist and startup advisor in the Bay Area.</p><img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzEzMzE0Mn0.gffGUdMwGtU9Ntr1rM0ZLEXGNk4MdtuvRPsdgxMpp8w/image.jpg?width=980"
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Erik Rannala, Mucker Capital
<p>Erik Rannala is a founding partner at Mucker Capital, which he created with William Hsu in 2011. Before founding Mucker, Rannala was vice president of global product strategy and development at TripAdvisor and a group manager at eBay, overseeing its premium features business.</p><p>"As an investor, I root for startups. It pains me to see great teams and ideas collapse under the pressure that sometimes follows fundraising. If you've raised money and you're not sure what comes next, that's fine – I don't always know either," Rannala wrote in <a href="https://www.mucker.com/more-funding-wont-magically-fix-your-startup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a blog post for Mucker</a>. </p><p>Mucker has a portfolio of 61 companies, including Los Angeles-based Honey and Santa Monica-based HMBradley.</p><img
class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" lazy-loadable="true"
data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDU0ODY5NX0.Cl_9Z__GHW9Ak9sMFCFiVnJpn1ICmfh2FgEdWQndv7Y/image.jpg?width=980"
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width="209"
height="254"
data-rm-shortcode-id="86d8ff9e606fb80a455cc64fb04cb48e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="William Hsu, Mucker Capital" />
William Hsu, Mucker Capital
<p>William Hsu is a founding partner at the Santa Monica-based fund Mucker Capital. He started his career as a founder, creating BuildPoint, a provider of workflow management solutions for the commercial construction industry not long after graduating from Stanford. </p> <p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3048173/the-unexpected-and-hard-earned-lessons-from-a-dot-com-flame-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In an interview with Fast Company</a>, he shared what he learned in the years following, as he led product teams at eBay, Green Dot and Spot Runner, eventually becoming the SVP and Chief Product Officer of At&T Interactive: "Building a company is about hiring correctly, adhering to a timeline, and rigorously valuing opportunity. It's turning something from inspiration and creative movement into process and rigor."</p> <p>These are the values he looks for in founders in addition to creativity. "I like to see the possibility of each and every idea, and being imaginative makes me a passionate investor."</p><img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDA0ODk1Mn0.2h6HQE6NfafuaauyzLzAoVxqibb6HmK2zK3uy__VYSI/image.jpg?width=980"
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data-rm-shortcode-id="d851edfe5a070d888b7441348645b487" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Jim Andelman, Bonfire Ventures" />
Jim Andelman, Bonfire Ventures
<p>Jim Andelman is a founding partner of Bonfire Ventures, a fund that focuses on seed rounds for business software founders. Andelman has been in venture capital for 20 years, previously founding Rincon Venture Partners and leading software investing at Broadview Capital Partners.<br><br>He's no stranger to enterprise software — he also was a member of the Technology Investment Banking Group at Alex. Brown & Sons and worked at Symmetrix, a consulting firm focusing on technology application for businesses.</p> <p><a href="https://dot.la/la-venture-podcast-jim-andelman-of-bonfire-ventures-2648143780.html" target="_self">In a podcast with LA Venture's Minnie Ingersoll</a> earlier this year, he spoke on the hesitations people have about choosing to start a company.</p>"It's two very different things: Should I coach someone to be a VC or should I coach someone to enter the startup ecosystem? On the latter question, my answer is 'hell yeah!'"<img
class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" lazy-loadable="true"
data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzExNTE5MX0.Vd5o4KRpVAtcu-6FFZR_KxV8QITMAEEUSS5oKQEWx8k/image.jpg?width=980"
id="8df2e"
width="542"
height="608"
data-rm-shortcode-id="583566c324263d5a00c2cd38fa1f8f59" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Josh Diamond, Walkabout Ventures" />
Josh Diamond, Walkabout Ventures
<p>Josh Diamond founded Walkabout Ventures, a seed fund that primarily focuses on financial service startups. The firm raised a $10 million fund in 2019 and is preparing for its second fund. Among its 19 portfolio companies is HMBradley, which Diamond helped seed and recently <a href="https://dot.la/hm-bradley-2649022900.html" target="_self">raised $18 in a Series A</a> round.</p><p>"The whole reason I started this is that I saw there was a gap in the funding for early stage, financial service startups," he said. As consumers demand more digital access and transparency, he said the market for financial services is transforming — and Los Angeles is quickly becoming a hub for fintech companies. Before founding Walkabout, he was a principal for Clocktower Technology Ventures, another Los Angeles-based fund with a similar focus.</p><img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU4NTE1Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MjczMDY0M30._cLZBBVVr-Cp-Bvr3AcSaoTESPvX4--vrxa5GoColmw/image.jpg?width=1500&coordinates=73%2C17%2C73%2C162&height=2000"
id="c4755"
width="1500"
height="2000"
data-rm-shortcode-id="b0498bb40e43d7c38dc66165c8b639d0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Kara Nortman, Upfront Ventures" />
Kara Nortman, Upfront Ventures
<p>Kara Nortman was recently promoted to managing partner at Upfront Ventures, making her one of the few women – along with Settle – to ascend to the highest ranks of a major VC firm.</p><p>Though<a href="https://upfront.com/thoughts/announcing-upfronts-new-co-managing-partner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Upfront had attempted to recruit her</a> before she joined in 2014, she had declined in order to start her own company, Moonfrye, a children's ecommerce company that rebranded to P.S. XO and merged with Seedling. Upfront invested in the combination, and shortly after, Nortman joined the Upfront team.</p><p>Before founding Moonfrye, she was the SVP and General Manager of Urbanspoon and Citysearch at IAC after co-heading IAC's M&A group.</p><p><a href="https://dot.la/moving-from-the-passenger-seat-to-the-drivers-seat-upfronts-kara-nortman-named-managing-partner-2648493740.html" target="_self">In an interview with dot.LA earlier this year</a>, she spoke on how a focus for her as a VC is to continue to open doors for founders and funders of diverse backgrounds.<br></p><p>"Once you're a woman or a person of color in a VC firm, it is making sure other talented people like you get hired, but also hiring people who are not totally like you. You have to make room for different kinds of people. And how do you empower those people?"<br></p><img
class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" lazy-loadable="true"
data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODY4OTMyMH0.qmXMUJODdF8dr5bb1ZlFK5-TolS8qXwa_Xt7YHWV5FA/image.jpg?width=980"
id="26ae9"
width="224"
height="256"
data-rm-shortcode-id="58f30122bfe71bc7741265a794146eb2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Brett Brewer, Crosscut Ventures" />
Brett Brewer, Crosscut Ventures
<p>Brett Brewer is a co-founder and managing director of Crosscut Ventures. He has a long history in entrepreneurship, starting a "pencil selling business in 4th grade." In 1998, he co-founded Intermix Media. Under their umbrella were online businesses like Myspace.com and Skilljam.com. After selling Intermix in 2005, he became president of Adknowledge.com.</p><p>Brewer founded Santa Monica-based Crosscut in 2008 alongside Rick Smith and Brian Garrett. His advice to founders <a href="https://crosscut.vc/team/" target="_blank">on Crosscut's website</a> reflects his experience: "Founders have to be prepared to pivot, restart, expect the unexpected, and make tough choices quickly... all in the same week! It's not for the faint of heart, but after doing this for 20 years, you can spot the fire (and desire) from a mile away (or not)."</p><img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY4MTAyMjkzNX0.BWgoLke3IGmZ_ZtLq0ZsTyQzjk4M5VClis_eQV_XPVw/image.jpg?width=980"
id="4f932"
width="228"
height="282"
data-rm-shortcode-id="f41fa3738adaf17ade6fc951a453ac2b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Eva Ho, Fika Ventures" />
Eva Ho, Fika Ventures
<p>Eva Ho is a founding partner of Fika Ventures, a boutique seed fund, which focuses on data and artificial intelligence-enabled technologies. Prior to founding Fika, she was a founding partner at San Francisco-based Susa Ventures, another seed-stage fund with a similar focus. She is also a serial entrepreneur, most recently co-founding an L.A. location data provider, Factual. She also co-founded Navigating Cancer, a health startup, and is a founding member of All Raise, a nonprofit that supports and provides resources to female founders and funders.</p><p><a href="https://medium.com/@John_Livesay/when-google-bought-my-startup-81f1ee21488c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In an interview with John Livesay</a> shortly before founding Fika, Ho spoke to how her experience at Factual helped focus what she looks for in founders. "I always look for the why. A lot of people have the skills and the confidence and the experience, but they can't convince me that they're truly passionate about this. That's the hard part — you can't fake passion."</p><img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjY3OTMxNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDgzNDE4NH0.RZA8r_BeZsIg0TPXqv0pikirmE3Hnrks5XhrCBFeQ1A/image.jpg?width=980"
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data-rm-shortcode-id="cbf608cd4e643d14e55adb787ef27ab2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Brian Lee, BAM Ventures" />
Brian Lee, BAM Ventures
<p>Brian Lee is a co-founder and managing director of BAM Ventures, an early-stage consumer-focused fund. <a href="https://dot.la/brian-lee-los-angeles-venture-capital-2645125301.html" target="_self">In an interview with dot.LA earlier this year</a>, Lee shared that he ended up being the first investor in Honey, which was bought by PayPal for $4 billion, through investing in founders and understanding their "vibe."</p> <p>"There's certain criteria that we look for in founders, a proprietary kind of checklist that we go through to determine whether or not these are the founders that we want to back…. [Honey's founders] knew exactly what they were building, and how they were going to get there."</p> <p>His eye for the right vibe in a founder is one gleaned from experience. Lee is a serial entrepreneur, founding LegalZoom.com, ShoeDazzle.com and The Honest Company.</p><img
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data-runner-src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzUxMDk1MH0.k4QtC35HRQ7p1VIynpiYwJqXwABLnNXi_IrlI_oMggs/image.jpg?width=980"
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data-rm-shortcode-id="dda879e353fc2b9fb2f58fb1c4dba02c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Alex Rubalcava, Stage Venture Partners" />
Alex Rubalcava, Stage Venture Partners
<p>Alex Rubalcava is a founding partner of Stage Venture Partners, a seed venture capital firm that invests in emerging software technology for B2B markets. Prior to joining, he was an analyst at Santa Monica-based Anthem Venture Partners, an investor in early stage technology companies. It was his first job after graduating from Harvard, and during his time at Anthem the fund was part of Series A in companies like MySpace, TrueCar and Android.</p><p>He has served as a board member in several Los Angeles nonprofits and organizations like KIPP LA Schools and South Central Scholars.</p> <p>"Warren Buffett says that he's a better businessman because he's an investor, and he's a better investor because he's a businessman. I feel the same way about VC and value investing. Being good at value investing can make you good at venture capital, and vice versa," Rubalcava said in <a href="https://moiglobal.com/alex-rubalcava-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an interview with Shai Dardashti of MOI Global</a>.</p><img
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data-rm-shortcode-id="0295915722fc7e0f6459e78c0dd5e7a1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Mark Suster, Upfront Ventures" />
Mark Suster, Upfront Ventures
<p>Mark Suster, managing partner at Upfront Ventures, is arguably L.A.'s most visible VC, frequently posting on Twitter and on his <a href="https://bothsidesofthetable.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blog</a>, not only about investing but also more personal topics like weight loss. In more normal years, he presides over LA's biggest gathering of tech titans, the Upfront Summit. Before Upfront, he was the founder and chief executive officer of two software companies, BuildOnline and Koral, which was acquired by Salesforce. Upfront backed both of his companies, and eventually he joined their team in 2007.</p><p>In a piece for his blog, "Both Sides of the Table," <a href="https://bothsidesofthetable.com/finding-an-investor-who-is-in-love-with-you-d0badf1a3998" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suster wrote about the importance of passion</a> — not just for entrepreneurs and their businesses, but for the VCs that fund them as well.<br></p><p>"On reflection of the role that I want to play as a VC it is clearly in the camp of passion. I really want to start my journeys only with people with whom I want to work closely with for the next 5–7 years or more. I only want to work on projects in which I believe can produce truly amazing change in an industry or in the world."</p>From Your Site Articles
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