I am an investor and writer based out of Silicon Valley. I created and invest out of a small fund called Haystack, which is proud to be an early investor in over 70 companies, including Instacart, DoorDash, Hired, Hashicorp, Giphy, Envoy, OpenDoor, eShares, Airmap, Clara Labs, Wag Walking, and Managed By Q (see full portfolio here). I am also Venture Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, was selected to the “Midas Brink List 2017” by Forbes, and am proud to serve on the Advisory Boards of StrictlyVC and The Alpha Network. (full bio here)
Mobile Operational Work: Until recently, I worked on mobile product (iOS and Android), marketing, and distribution for Swell, built by Concept.io (acquired by Apple). I’ve worked at two companies in operations in the Valley, Rexly (acquired by Live Nation) and Votizen (acquired by Causes), been a consultant to IFTTT on their mobile apps and platform, and was an EIR for six months with Javelin Venture Partners in San Francisco.
Venture Capital Work: In the past, I have been a formal paid consultant to a variety of venture capital firms on Sand Hill Road assisting with deal evaluation, due diligence, marketing, and special operations — those firms have included General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Trinity Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Bullpen Capital, GGV Capital, and a few others.
Public Speaking: I am happy to consider speaking or moderating at events. My personal preference is to speak at events that are small and private (and focused on a specific topic), at events where there is only one panel on a specific topic, or moderating conversations over smaller dinners.
Media Work: Previously, I was an official contributor to TechCrunch from January 2011 to April 2014 [link to column], where I wrote a weekly column every Sunday at 10am PST and created and hosted TV show called “In The Studio,” which ended after 70 consecutive episodes. Today, I write on Haywire and currently produce interviews as “Sunday Conversations,” which airs bi-monthly or so [iTunes] [SoundCloud].
Reading List: For RSS trigger list (powered by IFTTT) of the bloggers I read religiously, click here.
In Another Life: Before moving to the Valley in 2010, I helped start a life sciences company (MegaCell Therapeutics) in Boston, wrote for Harvard Business Review [link to my posts] and [email protected], worked for Harvard University in a variety of capacities (including in India) while attending graduate school, worked in the finance field on the nonprofit side (for the NCEO) in Oakland (2002-2006), worked for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and spent one year as a cook at Bi-Rite Market off Dolores Park in San Francisco and another as a professional bartender in NYC near Gramercy Park at a bar that no longer exists.
International: I have also spent considerable time traveling in and doing business in Asia, specifically China and India, for many years. During graduate school, I worked for various schools at Harvard, in partnership with the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (IIMA), to help build curriculum in a variety of economic and management disciplines for the school’s executive education program and for the civil and administrative services of the Government of India. Additionally, my graduate work focused on special economic zones (SEZs) within India and China.
Connect: @semil | LinkedIn | @Medium, for personal writing
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