Joe Marchese: VC Investing In and With Human Positivity, Optimism and Connection
Joe Marchese is the Founder of Human Ventures and Komos Brand Group. He created his first startup, Truex, in 2006, which he later sold to Fox Networks for $200 million. Besides being an expert and thought leader in the attention economy, Joe is also a prominent and socially driven investor through Human Ventures. Human Ventures focuses investment strategy on a broad range of essential human needs: from health and wellness to innovations in the workplace, to how we connect as communities, to exploring transformational changes in how and where we spend our time. This Episode’s Heavy-hitter’s: The inspiration for Human Ventures was actually New York City and its culture of people. Joe wanted to build something outside of the NYC tech scene, and Human Ventures was born. Joe’s got simultaneously optimistic and fearful use of AI as an advocate for human beings. He recognizes how much value it brings to the table in simplifying workflow, but he also knows how disruptive and unpredictable it has the potential to be. When it comes to picking a cofounder, Joe focuses on finding complementary skills and personality traits. That and good communication are a recipe for success. Komos Tequila takes a non-consensus approach of not being a celebrity-sponsored Tequila. They depend on the product and authenticity of the process to stand out, and be loved and enjoyed by those who drink it. Joe invested in a non-profit called Groundswell Fund that helps corporate companies give to charity. Instead of the C-suite choosing, they allow employees to choose the charities that they give to. For more on Joe and Human Ventures, please visit: https://human.vc/ Check out Komos Tequila at https://komos.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/thepozcast #thePOZcast is brought to you by our friends at Interseller – the prospecting + outreach platform of recruiters and sellers. Check out a free demo today! https://bit.ly/2Fbm/BZ Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and Twitter @AdamJPosner For more, please visit www.thePOZcast.com thanks!