Monik Pham & Reem Mobassaleh: Investing with Impact | Episode 18

Nothing Ventured

In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with Monik Pham and Reem Mobassaleh, founding partners of PACT VC. PACT VC is an early stage VC fund that focuses on backing founders who are solving key issues facing future generations. The conversation covers topics such as the importance of diversity in founding a fund, the challenges of building a fund at a young age, and the integration of commercial and impact metrics in measuring success. Tune in to learn more about their journey and strategies for success in the venture capital world. 🕒 Time stamps - 01:01 - Introducing Guests Monique Pham and Reem Wyndham 01:44 - Founding a VC Fund as Women 02:10 - Guests' First Jobs and Early Career Paths 03:18 - Backgrounds Before Founding PACT VC 04:21 - Decision to Launch PACT VC 05:04 - PACT VC's Investment Themes: ABCs 06:11 - Geographical Focus of Investments 06:38 - Recent Investments and Exciting Startups 09:17 - Diversity in Venture Capital and PACT VC's Approach 11:09 - Cognitive Diversity and Team Dynamics 12:03 - Performance Over Gender in VC 13:13 - Supporting Portfolio Companies in Hiring Diverse Talent 14:23 - LPs Investing in Diverse Allocators 17:08 - The Importance of Backing Quality and Diverse GPs 19:14 - Encouraging LPs to Invest in Diverse Managers 21:23 - The Risk of Regression in LP Investments 22:17 - Sponsor Break: Emerge One 22:48 - Concerns About the Future of Diverse Fund Management 24:31 - The Journey of Founding PACT VC 27:09 - The Role of Diversity in Building a VC Fund 29:43 - The Origin Story of PACT VC 31:08 - The Decision to Raise a Fund Together 32:25 - Challenges Faced Since Starting PACT VC 34:11 - The Importance of Team Dynamics in VC 35:38 - Preparing and Validating the Fund's Thesis 37:23 - The Emotional Side of Raising a Fund 38:06 - The Decision to Found PACT VC 39:29 - The ABC Investment Thesis and Impact Metrics 41:08 - Aligning Impact Metrics with Growth Targets 42:14 - The Story of Two Brown Boys 43:21 - The Importance of Co-Founder Fit 44:56 - The Nuances of Founding and Co-Founding 46:10 - The ABC Thesis and Stakeholder Returns 47:14 - Impact Metrics and Commercial Returns 48:08 - Case Study: Insurtech Company Impact 49:06 - Aligning Impact with Business Growth 50:21 - Founder Values and Mission-Driven Businesses 51:39 - Addressing Underrepresented Markets