What VCs don't tell you when you're raising with Jasmin Thomas, serial Founder & Angel Investor

Not My First Guess

Today I’m joined by Jasmin Thomas, Serial Founder & Angel Investor.

After a successful career building the first teams of unicorns like Deliveroo, Algemy, Improbable and Dark Trace, Jasmin turned her hand to her own business.

Having been diagnosed with MS, Jasmin had experienced the benefits of CBD oil first hand, from relieving period cramps to flare ups she was having.

From this, she was inspired to start her own efficacious skincare company, Ohana Health. However, as she soon found out, having a CBD based product brings even more challenges than your regular startup. And once she realised it wasn't a VC backable business, she made an even bolder move to shut the company down.

Now, she uses the valuable insights she gained through that experience, along with a deep passion for supporting women in various capacities, particularly early stage founders and those in the tech industry, to fuel this next phase of her career.

Her dedication is channeled through her work with angel community Alexandria Angels, where she focuses on investing in exceptional deal flow at the early stages, aiming to diversify cap tables, as well as acting as a venture partner and scout for VCs and as a consultant, collaborating with pre Series A startups.

She's also committed to supporting the development of gender diverse tech teams, bridging the gap for women in tech and STEM fields with tech recruitment agency Xena.

In case you couldn't already tell, she's a rather remarkable leader in the community and has even been highlighted by Richard Branson as an entrepreneur to watch for her exceptional drive and vision.

In this episode we discuss:

• Thinking out of the box as a core founder skill
• Asking VCs the right questions while you raise
• The secret value recruiters bring to the table
• How intention and self-awareness lead to success
• Unearthing hidden hurdles in your industry, early
• And so much more!

Links:

• Check out Alexandria Angels - https://alexandriaangels.persona.co/
• Learn about Angel Investing from Andy Ayim - https://andyayim.com
• Check out We Are Xena - https://wearexena.com
• Listen to our episode with Alexia Baron - spoti.fi/3EhjhXh
• Listen to our episode with Jacqui -
• Check out our new sponsor shipshape.vc - https://bit.ly/43Kq99N