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In this episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups, I’m absolutely thrilled to be joined by
Esther Tricoche, director of investments at Kapor Capital, the venture capital investment arm of the Kapor Center for Social Impact based in Oakland.
Kapor Capital invests in tech-driven, early-stage startups that expand access and opportunities to low-income communities or communities of color in the U.S. Esther focuses on investments in other VC funds that share Kapor Capital’s values.
During our discussion, Esther shared her origin story of growing up in Houston under the poverty line. “I had no idea what venture capital was,” she says. “Venture capital wasn’t on my radar until after college.”
However, once the VC world came onto her radar, she quickly excelled in that world. By the age of 30, Esther had deployed $150 million in investment funds, had co-founded an edtech accelerator and venture fund, and was featured in Forbes 30 under 30 in education.
Listen to Esther discuss how diverse teams drive better financial outcomes, surprising new research from Pitchbook about female founders and CEOs, her words of wisdom for founders, and what she expects—and hopes for—in 2021.
Please share this episode with aspiring entrepreneurs, startup founders, or anyone who can benefit from it. Reach out to us if we can help you determine your immigration options whether you’re in the U.S. or abroad.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- Esther’s origin story and early career in devising human rights policy, education policy, funding and supporting edtech startups, and later social enterprises expanding around the globe
- How Hurricanes Harvey and Maria in 2017 prompted a pivotal shift in her career
- What international cities are the biggest entrepreneurial hotspots, and why investors in those markets are similar to VC market in Atlanta
- Esther’s assessment of where the biggest investment gaps are in emerging markets
- Kapor Capital’s investment philosophy
- Esther’s focus at Kapor Capital
- How diverse teams drive better financial outcomes
- Interesting trends in a recent report published by Pitchbook
- Why a lot of VC funds are focusing on immigrant founders
- Esther’s words of wisdom for founders
- What she expects in 2021
Don’t miss my upcoming conversations with other top technology thought leaders, venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, and futurists on Immigration Law for Tech Startups. Subscribe to this podcast here or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever your favorite platform is. We welcome your rating and review of this podcast.
Resources:
Pitchbook’s All In: Female Founders and CEOs in the US VC Ecosystem
Alcorn Immigration Law publications and courses:
- Subscribe to the Alcorn Immigration Law Newsletter
- Immigration Options Chart
- Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
- Extraordinary Ability Bootcamp course for best practices for securing the O-1A visa, EB-1A green card, or the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card—the top options for startup founders. Use promotion code ILTS for 20% off the enrollment fee.
TechCrunch column:
What everyone at a startup needs to know about immigration
