Episode 19: Dahlia VC - Planting ‘Seeds’ For A Brighter Tomorrow
In the latest episode of the More Elephant podcast, we dive into the world of venture capital funding for Latinx entrepreneurs. Our guest, Veronica Juarez, Founder of Dahlia VC, shares her journey from a political career to her mission of addressing the underrepresentation of Latino entrepreneurs in the venture space.
Veronica's early-stage venture capital fund focuses on supporting seed-stage tech companies that specialize in B2B enterprise software, marketplaces, and FinTech solutions for the Latinx market. The discussion sheds light on the impact of inherent biases in capital allocation, the importance of creating wealth and opportunities for Latinx communities, and the role of specialized venture funds in driving social change and economic justice.
Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities in the venture capital industry and how we can work towards a more equitable and inclusive future.
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Show Notes
Veronica Juarez is the Managing Partner of Dahlia VC, a venture capital firm founded to empower the next generation of Latino tech trailblazers. Veronica is the former VP of Social Enterprise for Lyft where she built Lyft’s public policy team and nationwide effort, enterprise business, and business for government and non-profit organizations.
Named one of Fast Company's Most Creative Person in Business and a Game Changer in VC by L'attitude Ventures, she serves on Stanford University's Board for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity, and as a Director on Phillip Exeter Academy's General Alumni Association Board. Veronica manages the gift-giving of The Juarez Family Foundation, a social impact fund that she founded in 2019. Veronica is a proud native Houstonian, home of her family's infamous taqueria, Villa Arcos, in the 2nd Ward, and enjoys outdoor activities with her puppy Reggie.
Key More Elephant Takeaways in this Episode:
Veronica shares her journey from politics to venture capital, highlighting the need to support Latinx founders in the tech industry.
We discuss the persistent challenges faced by underrepresented founders and her mission to provide support and opportunities for them to succeed by utilizing her ‘presence’ in the room and understanding of how capital allocation works to create access.
We emphasize the importance of collaboration and access to capital in driving social change and creating generational wealth.
…and more.
More About Veronica Juarez: LinkedIn
More About Dahlia VC: Instagram | www.dahlia.vc | LinkedIn
Additional Links: Libra Leaders | L’ATTITUDE Ventures
Transcript
More Elephant Intro
[00:00:35] Jason Rudman: Welcome to the latest edition of the More Elephant podcast. In 2023, we talked with Alphonso David from the Global Black Economic Forum. And one of the things that we learned is the small amount of money that is going to black entrepreneurs in the venture space. It's about 1% of venture fund money.
And so continuing on that theme of listening and learning from the best and hearing about the work that they're doing, I'm delighted to welcome Veronica Juarez to the More Elephant podcast. Veronica most recently started Dahlia VC. It's an early stage venture capital fund, investing in seed stage tech companies, leveraging the Latino market and looking specifically at B2B enterprise software, marketplace, and FinTech solutions. And she is actively building a potential investment pipeline.
So, Veronica, thrilled that you're here. Can't wait to hear your story and all the things that you've been up to.
[00:01:33] Veronica Juarez: Thank you so much for having me, Jason. And I'm thrilled to be in conversation with you and part of the podcast series.
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