How a Philadelphia VC leader is using lessons from Coded by Kids to boost underrepresented founders

Philadelphia founder Sylvester Mobley recently stepped back from his various other roles to concentrate on his venture capital firm.

Called Plain Sight Capital, it specializes in investing in product-led, pre-seed to seed B2B SaaS companies led by underrepresented founders. The goal: to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Mobley is more than an investor; he’s a leader in social impact and technology. In 2013, he launched Coded by Kids. The organization aims to prepare young people for leadership roles in tech and entrepreneurship, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Over the past decade, the youth tech education nonprofit has become nationally recognized. But Mobley recently stepped down as CEO, handing the reins to his wife Danae Mobley, so he could concentrate more fully on Plain Sight.

What led to the change? A realization that the lessons and successes gleaned from Coded by Kids could provide an edge in supporting early-stage startups.

“A lot of the especially innovation driven work we were doing on the Coded by Kids side, it applies to any startup,” Mobley told me. 

“We were like hey, this would give us a competitive edge as investors,” he said. “If we could take these things, that we see companies consistently struggling with, and start using them and applying them, especially to early-stage startups, we could outcompete other investors.”

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That’s contributed to a relatively unique approach to VC, per Mobley: Plain Sight Capital focuses horizontally across industries. It encourages employing product-led strategies to deliver value to customers, with the aim of bypassing lengthy and complex sales processes.

Before venturing into the tech world, Mobley spent four years in the Marines. Upon re-enlisting in the Air Force Reserves, he landed his first role in technology. Less than two years later, had already launched his first tech company.

In the latest episode of Founding Philly, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mobley, along with Joe Biancaniello from the J.P. Morgan Innovation Economy Banking team. 

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts to hear Mobley’s journey in building sustainable businesses and how Plain Sight Capital is key to that mission.