
Leveraging Entrepreneurial Experience as a Venture Investor
By Clifford Holekamp, an EO St. Louis Elumni, and General Partner of Cultivation Capital
Successful entrepreneurs are often solicited for investment in startups. Fellow EO St. Louis member Rick Holton and I professionalized our angel investment activities by joining three other entrepreneurs starting an early stage venture capital fund, Cultivation Capital. A recent Kaufman Foundation research report concluded that early stage venture funds managed by former entrepreneurs yielded higher returns than those that weren’t, and our first year results are confirming that conclusion. Reflecting back, we have identified a few advantages that we have as entrepreneurs when managing early stage venture investments.