S8EP10 - Ron Levin, Managing Partner @ Alumni Ventures

Happy New Year from James Pringle, Hector Mason and the Riding Unicorns team!

Today’s episode is with Ron Levin, the Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures. Alumni Ventures is the most active venture capital firm in the US. Hector spoke to Ron to discuss his journey from entrepreneur to investor and his insights on scaling ventures and building impactful companies.

Ron shares his fascinating career story, from organising trading card shows as a teenager to founding the travel-tech unicorn TravelPerk and eventually joining Alumni Ventures, where he leads their dedicated Seed Fund. The conversation dives into:

• Ron’s unique career trajectory, blending tech, travel, and entrepreneurship

• Founding TravelPerk and the lessons learned from pivoting early

• Alumni Ventures' innovative model and how they empower founders while co-investing

• The importance of serendipity, curiosity, and acting on opportunities in building a career

• His philosophy on investing for impact and solving big societal problems

This episode is packed with wisdom and actionable advice for founders, investors, and anyone interested in venture capital and entrepreneurship.

All Riding Unicorns episodes are available on all major podcasting platforms including Spotify and Apple.

🦸 Sponsor - Cooley

Cooley is the go-to law firm for high-growth, disruptive tech startups and their venture capital investors. Originating from Silicon Valley, Cooley is a global law firm that supports startups with all their legal needs, including formation, financings, scaling towards M&A and IPOs, and ongoing counselling. Notable clients span the tech ecosystem, reinforcing Cooley’s reputation as a trusted partner for innovation-driven businesses.

Check out CooleyGO.com for a range of free resources to propel your business at every stage, including legal document-generation tools, VC deal data and analysis, and other essential insights.

Partner with Cooley to navigate every stage of your startup journey with confidence.

Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues that you think might be interested in being kept up to date on the latest news in the world of tech, venture capital, business and high growth unicorns.

Have a great Wednesday,

The Riding Unicorns team