Goldman Sachs Investment Banker Turned Investor: Unveiling the Story of Courtney Reum and His $900M+ Investment Firm M13

The Dealroom with Shamus Madan

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Courtney Reum, co-founder of M13. They discuss Courtney's journey from Goldman Sachs to entrepreneurship, the role of investment banking in business success, and the unique dynamics of founding a business with a family member. They delve into the concept of 'doing the impossible' in business, the transition to venture capital, and the future of the VC industry. The conversation wraps up with Courtney's advice for budding entrepreneurs and her predictions for Shamus's future.

Today we are joined by the one and only Courtney Reum. After helping take Under Armour and VitaminWater public 15+ years ago while working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, he and his brother Carter founded their first business, the popular spirits brand VEEV, which grew from zero to one of the best-selling independent liquor brands in the US. After the sale of VEEV in 2016, they founded the early-stage consumer tech investment firm M13 ($900M+ assets under management).

M13 has invested in 130+ companies, including Bird, Daily Harvest, Matterport, Ring, Thrive Market, Tonal, and more. The VC is also known for its high-profile investors, such as Richard Branson, Tony Robbins, and Arianna Huffington.

Twitter of Host (Shamus Madan): @mbitpodcast

Twitter of Guest (Courtney Reum): @Courtney_Reum

Learn more about M13 here.

(0:00) Introduction and guest, Courtney Reum (0:23) Journey to founding M13 and its high-profile investors (1:32) Courtney's interest and transition from Goldman Sachs to entrepreneurship (4:19) Role of investment banking in entrepreneurial success (6:39) Advantages and challenges of co-founding with a family member (11:19) Concept of 'doing the impossible' in entrepreneurship and business analogies (14:53) Transition to venture capital with M13 and the role of venture capitalists (20:07) Future of venture capital industry and impact of AI on businesses (24:26) Advice for next generation of entrepreneurs and the importance of grit (26:31) Closing remarks and Courtney Reum's future predictions for Shamus Madan