Alumni Ventures' Portfolio Company Founders in Inc's Female 100

Flori Marquez, BlockFi

Purple Arch Ventures (our fund for the Northwestern community) first invested in BlockFi in its seed round in 2018 and has supported the company in subsequent up rounds. We find the business model attractive, with BlockFi creating an asset manage platform, productions, and services that bridge the gap between traditional financial services and crypto. We have also been impressed by BlockFi’s tremendous growth, well-respected team with a strong record of entrepreneurial success, and demonstrated resiliency.

Why Co-Founder and SVP of Ops Flori Marquez made Inc’s list:

“She wanted…communities traditionally excluded from the financial system, to have an accessible path to banking. […] As a Hispanic woman who is a leader in the world of finance, Marquez has made it her mission to support the financial health of women and other groups who historically haven’t had access to generational wealth.”

Amy Errett, Madison Reed

Since 2016, Green D Ventures (our fund for the Dartmouth community) has been invested in Madison Reed. The company’s premium at-home hair color products have a proven product/market fit, and CEO Amy Errett is very impressive. A graduate of the Wharton School, a serial entrepreneur with a history of successful exits, and named in 2015 and 2018 by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the “Bay Area’s Most Influential Women in Business,” she is the perfect leader for Madison Reed’s continued, successful growth.

Why Founder and CEO Amy Errett made Inc’s list:

As Inc. observes, “Without hair salons [open during the pandemic], people were forced to take their hair color into their own hands — or leave their screen off on Zoom.” Amy Everett stepped up, noting that by the Spring of 20201, “ ‘We were selling a box of hair color every five seconds.’ ” While taking care of business, Everett took care of her staff, “retraining 100 employees in physical stores in the U.S. for customer service rather than letting them go.”

Shadiah Sigala, Kinside

The Yard Ventures (our fund for the Harvard community) made its first investment in Kinside’s seed round in 2020. The company’s mission to help parents and daycare providers find the best match, along with helping employers to offer more flexibility and cost savings in daycare, presents a “win-win-win” for all parties involved. We were also impressed by Kinside’s team, who have experience in founding successful companies.

Why Co-Founder and CEO Shadiah Sigala made Inc’s list:

“On January 1, 2020, Shadiah Sigala launched [Kinside]. A little more than two months later, of course, childcare centers everywhere shut down. Sigala, who had raised $4 million at that point, put aside the task of generating revenue and instead used the moment to prepare her nascent app for the considerable opportunity that might await the company on the other side of quarantine….Kinside kicked off 2021 with 3,000 employers using the app. Revenue doubled in four months from May to August 2021.”

Joanna McFarland, HopSkipDrive

HopSkipDrive’s web- and mobile-based platform offers alternative transportation for children that lets parents, schools, and government agencies pre-schedule regular routes for children with trusted, highly vetted drivers. The Yard Ventures (our fund for the Harvard community) first invested in HopSkipDrive in 2019, impressed with their strong revenue growth and the experienced investor syndicate backing them.

Why Founder and CEO Joanna McFarland made Inc’s list:

“[HopSkipDrive] was bringing in over $16 million in annual revenue and providing rides in more than 10 states when the pandemic sent students home indefinitely….Throughout the pandemic, HopSkipDrive became a literal lifeline for vulnerable communities, keeping them connected to meal deliveries, life-saving health care, and other essential services.”

Gina Bartasi, Kindbody

Building on her success with Progyny, Gina Bartasi launched Kindbody in 2018. The company’s full-service platform is revolutionizing women’s fertility care, which is why Green D Ventures (our fund for the Dartmouth community) first invested in 2019. We continue to be impressed by Kindbody’s incredible founder/market fit, differentiated solution, and significant traction.

Why Co-Founder and CEO Gina Bartasi made Inc’s List:

“Kindbody has raised $125 million in venture capital, most recently in a $62 million Series C round in June that included investments from Gabrielle Union, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Hannah Bronfman. All of Kindbody’s physicians are women, and half are BIPOC.” As Bartasi states, “ ‘We want to make sure that women’s health is being run by women, for women.’ ”