125 Ventures tracks key trends in these industries to uncover investment opportunities. Some key trends we are tracking include:
· Rise of Women Sports
· AI and data analytics
· Short-form video content
· Fandom and direct to fans/consumers
· Virtual events and concerts
· Streaming Services
· eSports growth
· Virtual and augmented reality
· Personalization and customization
· Influencer marketing
· Podcasts
· Environmental and social initiatives
Lorine Pendleton is a highly accomplished VC investor and professional with a diverse background spanning the legal, technology, and entertainment industries. With a passion for supporting underrepresented founders, Lorine has dedicated her career to making a significant impact on the venture capital landscape.
A decade ago, Lorine became aware of the stark underrepresentation of black founders in venture capital funding. Determined to bring about change, she embarked on a journey that would shape her investment career. Serendipitously, she discovered the Pipeline Angels training program, which proved to be the turning point. Accepted into the program, Lorine made her inaugural early-stage investment, igniting her path in the investment world.
For several years, Lorine focused on angel investments in women and diverse-led companies, aiming to create a more significant impact. Recognizing the potential to effect change by writing larger checks, she partnered with Portfolia in 2019. Portfolia, an innovative platform of investment funds for women, targets undervalued and misunderstood opportunities in high-growth sectors within the venture capital landscape.
In collaboration with Portfolia, Lorine launched the Rising America Fund I (RAI) in 2019. This fund aimed to invest in underrepresented (women, diverse and/or LGBTQI-led companies) making 17 investments across various sectors such as media/entertainment, fintech, edtech, health, and consumer products. RAI emerged as the top-performing fund within Portfolia, inspiring Lorine and Portfolia to establish the Rising America Fund II in 2021, furthering their commitment to investing in this space. To date, Lorine has made investments in over 35 companies through direct investments as an angel investor, and her two Portfolia funds, including notable ventures like Oura Ring, Madison Reed, Canela Media, Maven, MoCaFi, Kanarys, Goalsetter, Curastory, ShearShare, and Schola.
Prior to her foray into the investment realm, Lorine worked at three startups, two of which achieved successful exits. She contributed her expertise to Community Connect, the publisher of BlackPlanet, AsianAvenue, and MiGente, as well as SelectMinds, which was later acquired by Oracle. As a former entertainment attorney at Londell McMillan PC, Lorine represented esteemed artists such as Prince, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, the estate of the Notorious B.I.G., and Ruff Ryder Records. While attending law school evening division, she worked in the legal department of the William Morris Agency (now Willam Morris Endeavor) the largest and oldest talent and literary agency.
Observing the rise of AI, shifts in fan and consumer content consumption habits, and the emergence of content creators and influencer marketing, Lorine envisions immense potential for technology to revolutionize the media, entertainment and sports landscape. In pursuit of this vision, she has recently founded 125 Ventures, a new fund that focuses on investing in emerging technologies and platforms on the cusp of transformation in media, entertainment and sports. These technologies enable entirely new forms of expression while responding to changing content consumption patterns, delivery platforms, and ownership rights.
Lorine's remarkable achievements have garnered her numerous accolades and recognition within her field. She was honored as one of the 2021 Top 25 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A by Mergers & Acquisitions, featured by Worth as one of the "16 Financial Powerhouses," recognized by Marie Claire as one of the "Most 50 Connected Women in America - Star Dealmaker," and acknowledged by Medium as one of the "200 Women of Color to Follow on Twitter." Black Enterprise also highlighted Lorine as one of the "20 Angel Investors You Should Know." Additionally, she served as a pitch judge on the BET Network/Centric TV's Queen Boss TV series in 2017.
Michelle Mammen is a seasoned professional driven by an unwavering passion for impactful investing and fostering growth in small businesses. Throughout her journey in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Venture Capital, she has consistently championed positive change and empowerment for underrepresented communities.
Michelle's pursuit of a career in venture led her to Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, where she earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree through a rigorous one-year accelerated program. As the Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, she served as a dedicated ambassador for women empowerment in the Venture Capital industry. Her efforts to foster gender diversity and support underrepresented entrepreneurs serve as a testament to her commitment to driving meaningful change business.
During her tenure at Kellogg, Michelle worked on the investing team at Portfolia. She assisted various funds across the deal life cycle, from sourcing to screening, evaluation, and investment decisions for early to late-stage ventures across B2B/SaaS, Healthcare, Green & Sustainability, Consumer, Retail, Biotech, and Fintech sectors.
Prior to her role as an investor, Michelle gained experience as an Operator. She founded a consultancy (M Brands), dedicated to strategic advisory for small businesses in the Consumer & Retail, Agriculture, and Food & Beverage sectors. Michelle played a pivotal role in nurturing businesses at an inflection point in their growth trajectory, fostering their expansion and long-term success.
Michelle began her career at Ernst & Young, where she honed her skills as a Consultant in both New York and London. During this time, Michelle conducted valuation analyses for investments totaling $5 billion, across a wide array of industries, including Consumer & Retail, Food & Beverage, Agriculture, and Metals & Mining, for due diligence and reporting purposes.
Michelle is passionate about identifying disruptive technologies at the brink of transformation within the Sports, Media & Entertainment sectors. Her goal is to create a tangible difference to the growth and success of businesses through strategic investments and support.
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