Katrina Lake

Where does consumer VC fit in Seattle’s tech-heavy landscape? On this week’s Sound Investments, I talk with Jason Stoffer, Partner at Maveron, one of the few funds in the Pacific Northwest focused exclusively on consumer. We cover: 🔹 Jason’s path into venture capital 🔹 How Maveron spots breakout consumer brands 🔹 The role of AI in shaping the next wave of consumer opportunities 🔹 Trends in edtech, wellness, and retail If you’re curious about where the next consumer breakthroughs will come from - or how a fund like Maveron thrives in a city dominated by enterprise and cloud - this one’s for you. 🎧 Listen here: https://pod.fo/e/319e2a #VentureCapital #ConsumerTech #Innovation #Seattle #Startups

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Last week in San Diego, I had the opportunity—along with a few fellow NuFund Venture Group members—to meet SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, thanks to the Angel Capital Association's policy initiatives. Commissioner Peirce was thoughtful, candid, and deeply engaged in discussing the challenges and opportunities we see as early-stage investors. We covered capital formation, regulatory clarity, and the U.S.’s role in global innovation—a conversation that feels even more relevant following her February 4th announcement. 📄 Read her full statement here: https://lnkd.in/dJg75Zvj The SEC’s new Crypto Task Force represents a shift in approach: rather than enforcing regulations without a clear roadmap, the SEC is working first to define where its authority begins and ends before shaping long-term rules. 🔍Why is this important? For over a decade, regulatory uncertainty has been one of the biggest barriers to innovation in blockchain, crypto, and decentralized technologies. Without clear guidelines, founders and investors have been forced to navigate shifting policies—slowing progress and pushing innovation offshore. This new approach could change that. If the SEC successfully creates a predictable, well-defined regulatory environment, we could see: ✅ More founders choosing to build in the U.S., strengthening the country’s leadership in blockchain, smart contracts, and decentralized systems. ✅ A wave of new investment opportunities as venture capital firms gain more confidence in regulatory stability. ✅ The integration of decentralized technologies with AI-driven systems, unlocking new business models where next-gen automation meets distributed governance (DAOs) and autonomous decision-making. The SEC is actively seeking industry input: 📌 Submit feedback via email: crypto@sec.gov 📌 Request a meeting from form: https://lnkd.in/dph6Q2XQ Regulation done right can fuel innovation, not stifle it. If this process delivers, we could look at a new era for early-stage investment, where decentralization and AI-driven solutions create the next wave of transformative startups. Imagine the possibilities: 🤖 Algorithmic Governance – AI-enhanced DAOs could streamline decision-making, making decentralized governance more efficient and data-driven. 🛠 Tokenized AI Services – Future AI startups could tokenize their services, enabling community ownership and distributing value among developers, data providers, and users. 🌍 Global Collaboration – DAOs could break down geographic barriers, accelerating cross-border AI research and innovation—all under a clear U.S. regulatory framework. Having a predictable regulatory environment could make the U.S. the epicenter for these cutting-edge models. #Startups #Crypto #VentureCapital #Regulation #AI #SeedFunding #SECTaskForce #Innovation #DAO #Blockchain #Web3 Richard Gabbert, Ashok Kamal

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