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Why This Goldman Investment Banker Turned VC Owns Her Firm's Checkbook

forbes.com · 970 words · saved by 1 readers

When you spend a decade working on M&A deals and readying companies for IPO, moving to a seed fund is like going back to the sandbox after earning your degree. But for Iris Choi, Floodgate’s first partner outside of the founding team, this move was all about vision and value. “I told them that they were great at deploying capital but that I could look at a company and know what their exit is. That was a skill the team didn’t have yet. It was differentiated value.” In her role as a partner, Choi manages special projects for Floodgate portfolio companies, sits on five boards and owns all follow-on investing for the fund. We sat down with her to talk about her path to venture capital, balancing her life as a working mom and what studying Krav Maga taught her about business. Emily Joffrion: Moving from investment banking to VC is quite a shift. How did you make this transition? Iris Choi: I have quite an unconventional background for venture. I was a banker for over a decade, working on M&

Editors' Pick Leadership ForbesWomen Why This Goldman Investment Banker Turned VC Owns Her Firm's Checkbook By Emily Fields Joffrion , Former Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Women behind environmental and social good brand strategy Aug 30, 2018, 09:00am EDT Aug 31, 2018, 11:00am EDT This article is more than 7 years old. Iris Choi, Partner at Floodgate Christopher Michel When you spend a decade working on M&A deals and readying companies for IPO, moving to a seed fund is like going back to the sandbox after earning your degree. But for Iris Ch

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