Creandum x Included VC: Meet the Fellows
We’ve been talking for years about the need for greater diversity and inclusion in VC — but if there’s one thing we know, it’s that no single organisation can change things alone. That’s why we were delighted to speak with Nikita Thakrar and our friends at Notion from the earliest stages of Included VC.
What nobody anticipated was just how the Fellowship would output a thriving community of talented individuals to fertilise the VC world. The number of those that have now graduated into positions in VC and related industries is testament to the fellowship’s success.
And yet, it also feels like just the start. As these cohorts progress through their careers, there’s no doubt their presence and progress will lay the foundations for more and more to follow in their tracks.
To celebrate the success of the fellowship so far, we wanted to highlight the journey of a few of the individuals that have taken place so far.
Without further ado, let me hand over the stage to some recent Fellows to talk about their experiences with the fellowship and what they have been doing since.
(Left to right) Munashe Dema, now at M12, Swathi Damodharan, Now at Blume Ventures, Kadi-Ingrid Lilles Now at Silicon Allee
How did you get here — what led you to the moment in your career where this was the next step?
Swathi: I graduated over the pandemic and was at a very early point in my career so it was something I had envisioned as a post-MBA career path.I enjoyed my job in tech and engineering but was always looking for ways to accelerate the timeline. I wanted to find a way to balance the depth of technology with the breadth of VC.
Kadi-Ingrid: My career had been continuously building up to the shift towards the venture capital industry. I had been focusing on supporting startups and founders from the earliest of stages.
Co-founding Estonia’s first social enterprise incubator and interning at an early-stage VC firm in the Bay Area. Working on supporting and developing the Estonian startup ecosystem on a governmental level. A few years of working as an operator at early stage B2B SaaS platform startups in Berlin.
I embarked on a bit of a professional soul-searching which led me to a realization VC would be the best course.
Munashe: I had worked in hypergrowth UK startups such as Bulb Energy and LAMB, where I learned a multitude of skills, found deeply enriching, and which certified my desire to work in the startup ecosystem.
However, I always felt I had an even deeper hunger to continue learning more and explore new startups, which could simply not be satiated by one startup. Through speaking to one of the founders at LAMB about their YC journey and startup financing generally, I realized venture capital may be the best path to satiate this hunger.
I began my VC journey firstly by sending hundreds of unsolicited emails to VC firms globally, then many LinkedIn messages, and a multitude of internship applications. Quickly in the process, I did realize the venture industry operates as a closed network and I would need a different solution to break this barrier and at the same time, a friend familiar with the program sent me a link to Included VC.
Why VC? Why is this the part of the ecosystem for you vs being in a startup or other directions?
Swathi: What I was able to conclude with discussions was that timing is the most important piece of the puzzle. So when I reflected upon what I wanted to achieve over the next set of years, I realised that I value exposure across a broad range of verticals more than the depth of working in a startup.
Meeting interesting people every day and being able to zoom in and out of different problem statements was very exciting for me. The Indian startup ecosystem is at an exciting point and I wanted to be able to be in an immersive environment where I can observe that.
Kadi-Ingrid: For me, work in venture capital offers a unique mix of impact paired with continuous learning and development. This comes from being exposed to cutting-edge innovation, new business models, and inspirational founders as well as the drive to find and back the best startups, and provide meaningful value and support to the startups in one’s portfolio and network.
Munashe: VC offered me the opportunity to work with a range of talented entrepreneurs and learn about myriad interesting industries, whilst remaining at the forefront of technological advancements.
Compared to asset management, I felt a VC career would provide a less structured path and exponential growth, unimpeded by the bounds of a corporate structure.
At Blue Future Partners, I was given the space to turn my idea of an Africa-focused VC fund of funds into a product.
Above all, the motivation for a career in venture capital stems from my desire to have a major positive impact on society through my work. Based on the impact I saw from VC-backed companies have on human life over the past 25 years, I felt a career in VC would give me the best opportunity to empower many communities and positively impact many lives.
What was the most surprising aspect of the programme? What did you not expect?
Swathi: It was without a doubt how helpful and tightly-knit the community of fellows became. While I did hear a lot about it, I had never been a part of one before to fully internalize it. I think it emerges from sharing so many commonalities in terms of aspirations and interests but also experiencing the many different versions of it from each Fellow.
Between the 50 of us, we came from different countries, backgrounds, were at different points in life and that made it extremely refreshing. Applying for VC jobs can be a taxing process and I think being able to support each other, get advice also makes it an extremely safe space for us to navigate through stressful times.
Kadi-Ingrid: I was surprised how involved the fellowship’s partner VCs were from joining in even on the most casual meetings and sessions to personally get to know us better. Also, how genuinely intensely the team cared for each of our fellowship and VC job application journeys.
While some thought the fellows might end up competing in the limited VC job market, we were each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and continue to support one another in settling and thriving in our new roles.
Munashe: Before starting the fellowship, I expected it to be an off-the-shelf solution but I quickly realized Included VC was uniquely different due to its bespoke nature.
Program managers such as Nikita Thakrar and Anu Panesar go above and beyond to ensure each Fellow is given a tailor-made support package to gain the skills and attributes they require.
Nikita spent countless hours of one-to-one mentoring to help me create a plan to overcome the barriers that enabled me to break into VC.
What else did you learn once you moved on from the programme?
Swathi: Giving someone 8 months to internalize how VC works, form a community and discover the best way for them to come into VC speaks volumes about how much of a permanent, ever lasting impact the program and the partner funds want the fellows to have.
There is a compounding effect that exists there. I realized this on my first day at a VC fund — on paper it seems like a giant leap but internally I had a sense of what to expect, what to be patient about. I do attribute that to the space that the program gave me.
Kadi-Ingrid: I think that the importance of networks and relationships has really been deepened and enhanced. It has been great to see how welcoming and supportive the VC industry can be, being a junior VC reaching out to more experienced peers for insights and collaboration, and encountering the support and knowledge that gets shared in networks like the female VCs in Germany.
Additionally, the importance of authenticity and a strong set of clearly communicated values has really proven valuable in building relationships and resonating with founders, and at times also in winning competitive deals
Munashe: Included VC has given me the best foundation one can possibly desire for a career in venture capital — but it is merely the beginning of a lifelong learning journey. Venture capital is a living organism and the core fundamentals themselves are continuously shifting. I have come to lean on the fellowship regularly for career support and high-quality deal flow.
