The Spool: July 2023 - 🧵 Diversification in Venture Capital

Get excited, we have a great edition of The Spool in store for you this month - it's a 5-minute read. 

In July’s edition:

• Meet the Founder of Frances Valentine
• Exciting updates from our portfolio companies 
• Virtual Events

So let's dive in! 

But First…

Diversification is the hallmark of any investment strategy. And investing in Venture Capital can be a great way to balance out your investment portfolio. Sweater provides the most accessible way for anyone to invest into venture capital, making diversification outside of the public markets easy for all investors. How you ask?

We offer access to the Venture Capital market thanks to our first of a kind public venture fund -  The Cashmere Fund. This fund not only welcomes non-accredited investors, but also creates a unique index of private companies, providing diversification benefits that you most commonly see with ETFs or mutual funds. 

Institutional investors have been shifting their allocations to private and alternative investments to close to 20% over the last few years, why shouldn’t retail investors be given the same opportunity?

Interested in welcoming venture capital to your portfolio? Get started here.

Founder Spotlight

Elyce Arons' remarkable journey began on an Angus cattle farm in Kansas, where the self-proclaimed "nerd" participated in 4-H, debate squad, marching band and cultivated a deep love for vintage pieces. This love of vintage pieces is something she shared with her best friend Katy from college. In the 1990s, their shared passion led to the establishment of the iconic brand Kate Spade, where they unleashed their creative talents and captivated the hearts of fashion enthusiasts worldwide before selling the company to Neiman Marcus.

Driven by the desire to continue designing and creating, Elyce and Katy embarked on a new adventure in 2016 by founding Frances Valentine. Elyce will tell you herself “Frances Valentine is an ode to [their] friendship, deep connection, and love of all things vintage. Frances Valentine is a celebration of that friendship, personal confidence, and heart-fluttering nostalgia.” 

Frances Valentine is not just a fashion label; it's a lifestyle. And we could not be prouder to have the Next Great American Brand in Sweater’s Cashmere Fund. 

Every month we feature a Cashmere Fund Port Co Founder or Sweater Member. Would you like to be featured next month? Click here to introduce yourself. 🤝  

Port Co’s in the Wild

News

• Congrats to EarlyBird for being chosen as one of the "Companies With The Best Culture: 50 Top Midwest & Remote Companies" by Purpose Jobs. EarlyBird prioritizes the top things people look for in a company culture: flexibility, balance/wellness, and growth. Keep up the great work! 🏆Looking to make a move? They’re hiring! 
• Imagine smelling the subtle sweetness of rose and jasmine in harmony with the warmth of amber as you lean back against an explosion of kaleidoscopic wildflowers. Get ready because now you can with Frances Valentine’s expanded line. 🌼👏Our favorite lifestyle brand was featured TWICE in WWD for their new home decor capsule with Annie Aelke and first fragrance, Patio. 🤩 Here’s to a bold, bright, and fashionable summer!

Jobs

• Care Specialist at After.com.
• Site Reliability Engineer (Remote) at True Footage.
• Marketing Manager at Hearth Display.
• Account Executive (Remote - US Based) at Pear Suite.
• Head of Partnerships (California) at Pear Suite.
  

Events 

Startup Savant: Anyone Can Be a Venture Capitalist with Sweater Ventures

On-Demand Podcast

Sweater’s founder and CEO Jesse Randall joined Ethan Peyton on the podcast Startup Savant to discuss how Sweater is making it possible for anyone to invest in a venture capital fund and the bold marketing campaign that built a 60,000 person waitlist for it. Click here to check this episode out.

Wellness for Financial Grownups: Inclusive Investing with Sweater Ventures’ Emma Clark

On-Demand Podcast 

Sweater’s COO Emma Clark joined Bobbi Rebell, author of Launching Financial Grownups, on the podcast Wellness for Financial Grownups to discuss Women in VC, democratizing access to venture capital for all and more about what Sweater is building! Listen to the podcast here.

Have questions? Join Sweater Office Hours

Meet our Member Experience team for an in-depth discussion around Sweater and get all your questions answered. We're here to help make venture investing as easy as possible.

Sweater, On-Demand 

Get your Sweater fix on-demand. To view our entire library of on-demand content, click here. 

The Takeaway

Diversification is key to any investment strategy. Click reply to let us know how you are diversifying your investment portfolio to reach your financial goals.

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