PORTFOLIO
Aside from moving capital, the most important role of an investor is mentoring.
I truly enjoy connecting entrepreneurs with the resources and strategies that help them scale, and I'm really good at it. Over the years, I’ve built a detailed database of my vast network, drawing on it to vet and assist my portfolio companies.
Photo by #GOBEYOND
Photo by #GOBEYOND
Since co-founding Chloe Capital in 2017 alongside Kathryn Cartini, Erica O’Brian and Myneco Ramirez, we’ve funded 10 companies with a combined portfolio value of $70 million. This includes breakouts like Journey Foods and Node, both of which have tripled in value since our investments. To date, we’ve helped create scores of jobs and drawn more than 15,000 members to our #InvestInWomen movement.
Angel and Crowdfunding Investments
I’m passionate about seeing deserving founders and ideas get the launchpads they deserve. To that end, I’ve invested my personal funds into nearly a dozen different companies in recent years.
Highlights
GatheringUs created a platform for online memorial services in 2018 before the Covid-19 pandemic created a boom in demand. Founder Noha Waibsnaider successfully sold her previous business, Peeled Snacks, around the same time I exited Singlebrook. Being new to the technology space, she turned to me for guidance with her new enterprise, which now has a team of more than 26 people.
Antithesis Foods was founded by a team of two food scientists at Cornell University who cracked the code on making chick-pea snacks crunchy and truly delicious. Still in an early stage, the company has tremendous potential for expanding in new directions. I’ve mentored the team for two years, seeing them secure an SBIR grant, land early partnerships and launch a terrific podcast, called “Better For You.”
Combining telehealth with a data-driven approach to customized baby formulas, SimpliFed is the trailblazer in telelactation services. Founder Andrea Ippolito has already built and exited two other successful health-science startups. We met while I was serving on the board for the women’s program, WE Cornell, and I continue to work with her under the auspices of Launch NY and the Center for Regional Economic Advancement at Cornell.
IN THEIR WORDS
“Elisa is with you every step of the way as you encounter barriers during your entrepreneurial journey. She helps you troubleshoot through large, strategic decisions, and introduces you to key partners and investors, along with helping give you recommendations on tactical items like putting together a cap table or picking software for your bookkeeping.”
— Andrea Ippolito, CEO, SimpliFed
“Elisa is wicked smart, thoughtful, and the fastest talker/thinker I know, so she never wastes your time. She's not afraid to think out of the box and explore a creative approach. She maintains an enormous network of relationships, and often makes valuable connections. Moreover, Elisa is committed to social equity and actively works to make a positive impact. She's a true role model for how to be an investor, mentor, and human being who lives her values.”
— Noha Waibsnaider, CEO, Gathering Us
Mentoring
Through partnerships with the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), Cornell University, National Science Foundation (NSF), Launch NY and others, I’ve mentored literally hundreds of founders and startups.
Highlights
Re-Nuble is an agriculture technology company that converts vegetative food waste into organic hydroponic nutrients for soilless farms. The founder, Tinia Pina, was inspired to launch the company after seeing the poor quality of food available to urban schoolchildren. I’ve been mentoring Tinia for nearly three years now, helping her prepare for her recent seed funding of $1.1 million
The Verticale is an e-tailer focused on direct-to-consumer brands and editorial reviews. I began mentoring the founder, Jaclyn Grauman, while she was still developing the idea in the Rev Incubator, located in downtown Ithaca. Since then she’s built out her platform and team, and launched partnerships with several major brands.
Exotanium launched out of computer science research at Cornell University. The three founders participated in a startup course I taught through the National Science Foundation. Since then, I’ve continued mentoring them from the idea phase through their involvement with Launch NY and an initial funding round of $1 million.
IN THEIR WORDS
“Elisa is an incredible mentor who can balance the conversation around the big vision, while staying grounded in the realities of execution, next steps and challenges. She truly supports the entrepreneurs she works with by making connections wherever possible. As a first-time founder, I found her guidance and knowledge to be vital in the early stages of building my company.”
— Jaclyn Grauman, The Verticale
“Elisa is quick and to the point of exactly what the challenge is at heart and provides a realistic solution. My calendar and I appreciate her mentorship because of it.”
— Tinia Pina, CEO, Re-Nuble