David Hall of Revolution looks beyond New York and Silicon Valley

Investing is an act of creation. Successful investors have a contrarian view on the world. They see an opportunity with new business models, different approaches and with market segments. New worldviews can come with different perspectives.

That’s one rational case for finding more great founders of color and female entrepreneurs, as we’ve heard so far this season of “Off the Sidelines” — an investor education podcast produced by us at Technical.ly in partnership with Project Entrepreneur, a program by UBS. This is also why some think it’s a mistake to only prize deal flow from Silicon Valley.

Enter the Rise of the Rest Seed Fund from Revolution. With the overwhelming majority of venture capital funding going to Silicon Valley, New York and Boston, Rise of the Rest aims to support growth and development in other cities: “Impact is very deeply woven throughout our investment thesis and our mission,” Managing Partner David Hall told us.

Like any fund, Rise of the Rest is of course interested in generating returns, but it is also committed to ecosystem building, allowing local entrepreneurs the opportunity to stay in their hometowns and create jobs and networks there. This can be a wise investment strategy as well, exploring options more mainstream investors may overlook.

This strategy aligns strongly with the goals of Project Entrepreneur, which seeks to advance inclusive capital by improving enabling environments for founders and diversifying the pipeline of investors and supporters. The Next Big Idea™ is coming, and if you go by the numbers, there’s a very good chance it will come from outside the traditional sources.

In the first episode of “Off the Sidelines”, Village Capital cofounder Victoria Fram shared that 75% of capital goes to three cities and said, “It’s just crazy to think that that’s where 75% of the innovation that’s worth backing exists.” Hall and Rise of the Rest are putting this belief into action (and possibly funding the next transformative company).

Listen to the episode below to hear our conversation with Hall, including his advice for how to get involved if you’re a new investor outside the Bay Area or the Northeast, what investing has in common with playing basketball, and more.

Off the Sidelines — Ep 6 — David Hall of Revolution

 

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