59: VC For Underdogs, with Deena Shakir, Partner, Lux Capital
Meet Deena Shakir:
Deena Shakir is a Partner at Lux Capital and a Lecturer in Management at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She serves on the board of directors for multiple organizations including Maven Clinic, SteadyMD, Alife Health, H1, Adyn, Shiru, and AllStripes. Prior to Lux, Deena was a Partner at GV (formerly Google Ventures). She received a BA in Social Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University, and an MA in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Key Insights:
Deena Shakir is an accomplished venture capitalist, and particularly interested in intersectional and underdog entrepreneurs.
- Non-Linear Path. Lots of different career paths or backgrounds can lead to venture capital. However, Deena discusses how building bridges and unexpected partnerships is a key component of her success. (11:48)
- Embracing Personal Experiences. Deena emphasizes the value of bringing personal experience to building and investing in firms. Her own life-threatening pregnancies exposed to Deena broken aspects of healthcare, and gave her the conviction to invest in women’s health innovations. (14:23)
- Don’t Put Yourself in a Box. Deena encourages young leaders to take risks earlier in their career, and not let yourself or other put you in a box. Having a combination of soft and technical skills is important for any field. (22:17)
This episode is hosted by Sanjula Jain, Ph.D. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Her Story, co-founder of Think Medium, and SVP of Market Strategy and Chief Research Office at Trilliant Health.
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