Entries by Marilu Livermore

Community as Capital: Why We Invest in People-Building

Founders Circle Capital is delighted to announce the closing of Fund III at $355M. Now, we’re even stronger in our ability to invest in the people building today’s fastest-growing companies who find themselves navigating the unique challenges of transitioning from startup to hyperscale. We believe, to our core, in the organizing principle of community as capital and that no company can be built if its people aren’t built first. Though funding in its various forms is essential, an investment in you is the most valuable currency we can offer.

The Road to IPO: CFO Lee Kirkpatrick Twilio (2012-2018)

Veteran CFO Lee Kirkpatrick guided Twilio to and through its IPO from 2012-2018. Now he’s an active board member and executive advisor to both venture-backed and public companies. Lee shares his views and best practices for exercising greater empathy, up-and-down the organization, as a cornerstone to being a strong leader in the company.

The Road to IPO: CFO Criss Harms Forescout (2013-2020)

Veteran CFO Criss Harms guided ForeScout, a 20-year-old company, for nearly eight years to and through its IPO from 2013-2020 where he helped scale the business with people, systems, and processes. Having traveled the entire start-up journey, Criss has key insight and experience concerning CFO leadership and strategy.

Employee Mental Health – Helping Teams Navigate Adversity

While discussions about mental health in the workplace have always been critical, the unending parade of uncertainties and challenges in 2020 has heightened the issue’s size, scale, and intensity. Our friends from Lyra Health and Culture Amp lead The|Circle group to dig deeper into the frameworks and statistics around mental health, map that data to the tech workforce, and explore different benefits and resources for employee support.

The CFO Software Stack: Tips for Implementation

CFO’s touch upon so many aspects of the business and a critical one is owning and managing the majority of a company’s software stack. The CFO|Circle convened to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the software they are using today, best practices for implementation, and if there should be a specific role hired to manage the stack.