The People Behind the People
at the Founders Circle Family
Take a sneak peek behind the people who “invest in people.”
Andrew Boston
Meet Andrew Boston – esteemed Partner here at Founders Circle Capital.
If you’ve ever lived in or visited San Francisco, you might’ve seen one or two brave souls swimming in the open waters of the San Francisco Bay and thought, “who on Earth does that?” Andrew Boston does!
Andrew took us all by surprise when he told us he’d been open water swimming in the San Francisco Bay almost three times a week since 2014. Even more amazingly, he abides by the “unwritten code” of the Bay swimmers and doesn’t wear a wetsuit. (For context: the average sea temperature in the Bay is around 53 degrees Fahrenheit in the cold months and only gets as high as 60 degrees at its warmest.)
“It’s a shock to the system – in a great way. It’s painful at first but can be hugely rewarding, not unlike starting a company. I swim solo, with friends, and on good days with “Lucille,” a seal that frequents the cove in the right conditions.”
Andrew was a competitive rower back at Harvard and got introduced to swimming in the Bay by his wife when living in Russian Hill. Before long, Andrew was hooked, and he and a small group would go out every Wednesday, Friday, and once on the weekend. The pandemic put a hold on his swimming for a while, but now he’s looking forward to getting back into it more regularly. He even hopes to compete in a Polar Bear Challenge one day.
We love Andrew’s passion and commitment to his unconventional hobby. It perfectly embodies the Founders Circle ethos: carve your own path, even if it means breaking through some ice.
Owen Van Arsdale
Meet Owen Van Arsdale – an esteemed Investor here at Founders Circle Capital.
As a child, lacrosse was front and center in Owen’s life and a part of his DNA. His father and uncle were national champions on the same college team, and both became college coaches. His mother was also an All-American lacrosse player (and known to be the best athlete in the family). They inspired Owen to pursue the sport himself, so much so that he attended the University of Virginia to join the team where his dad was the coach and where they ended up winning a championship together.
Lacrosse was such a passion and focal point in his life that he redshirted as a freshman to have eligibility to play with the team for a fifth year and tacked on additional four years, working with Harlem Lacrosse.
At Harlem Lacrosse, his team became a high school powerhouse in New York City and won two City Championships, the four years that Owen spent coaching went well beyond lacrosse. He described the program as a balance of about 10% lacrosse and 90% helping middle and high school children in underfunded public schools to become scholars and leaders in their community. A day in the life would include tutoring, study halls, SAT prep,
college admissions support, and career planning.
“Many of the kids are some of the most remarkable people I’ve met; they just happen to be at a school that is overlooked and underinvested. Everyone has potential, but you need to invest in people – and that’s exactly what we did through Harlem Lacrosse.”
As Owen made his move to San Francisco, his passion for lacrosse and community building remained, and he now works with a local youth program. His legacy continues at Harlem Lacrosse, with his sister Elise running her program. If you see any girls with lacrosse sticks at 125th and Lenox Ave in New York City, chances are Elise introduced them to the sport.
The Founders Circle family is fortunate to benefit from Owen’s passion and spirit.
Harlem Lacrosse is a non-profit whose mission is to empower the kids who are most at risk for academic decline and dropout to rise above their challenges and reach their full potential. In partnership with public schools in low-income urban neighborhoods, Harlem Lacrosse inserts a “coach” to build a lacrosse team that forms a program’s nucleus. By getting the kids hooked on lacrosse and building a strong team culture, coaches can provide the holistic support needed to help their students succeed academically and socially.
Audrey Vallen
Meet Audrey Vallen – indispensable CFO here at Founders Circle Capital.
Audrey started playing with fabric around 1995. She took an art quilt class with Therese May and made a small pictorial wall quilt. Then she purchased The Joy of Quilting by Hansen & Hickey and made her first very traditional quilt – for her best friend from business school expecting her first baby.
From there, she just kept making quilts. Exploring different patterns – sometimes traditional and sometimes free cut – and different fabric styles, from 19th-century reproductions to tropical batiks, whatever satisfied her creative mood. Sometimes she makes a quilt with a particular person in mind, and other times it is made just for the fun of creating. A friend may come over and fall in love with one, so it goes home with them.
“Fabric is very patient. It waits for you until you can carve out a few moments from a busy life of mom and CFO, to stop for a little creativity.”
Long ago, she used to do etchings and paintings, but those creative processes are not forgiving to inattention – ink and paint dries, your work and brushes are ruined, while you step away to help with homework respond to a GPs late-night email. For Audrey, playing with fabric is the perfect creative outlet.
Charles Shannon
Meet Charles Shannon – rockstar Partner here at Founders Circle Capital.
Charles has been playing the violin for over two decades – can you believe it?! He started playing in grade school and has played in orchestras, symphonies, and chamber groups.
In high school, Charles’ teacher mistakenly listed him under viola, which is another string instrument with a lower and deeper sound.
Charles does roll with the punches because when presented with this challenge, he learned a new clef, prepared a solo on the viola, and prepared to sight-read a piece in alto clef – in ONLY three weeks!
He was determined, which ultimately led him to get one of the 12 slots for viola out of the 100 who auditioned! A true story of perseverance and hard work.
As Charles got older, he found himself teaching middle school math in his hometown of Memphis through Teach for America. He used his violinist background to teach about fractions, counting, speed, and time!
Charles is not only a valuable team member but a wonderful musical artist. If you ever have the pleasure of catching him with his violin, be sure to ask him to play one of his favorite pieces – Brahms Piano Trio in B Flat Major.
