Understanding Investment as a Long-Term Relationship, Not Just a Transaction with Patty Wexler, Founder of Avila

I am joined this week by the brilliant and beautiful Patty Wexler. Patty is not only backing bold founders reimagining the future economy through Avila but also someone who has had such a unique story on this earth. From growing up in Venezuela as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors to becoming a venture capitalist investing in nuclear fusion and geothermal energy, Patty's journey is a masterclass in experiencing excellence and finding your path.

Today, we dive deep into Patty's formative years split between Venezuela and New York, where she learned early that counting every penny was survival. You'll hear about the boss who picked up the phone and changed her life trajectory, her realization that $28,000 felt like infinite wealth until rent was due, and how she tasted excellence at the buffet of opportunities from consulting to Disney to tech investing. Patty shares her philosophy on why venture isn't for everyone, the critical importance of choosing financial partners like you're entering a marriage with children, and why she pivoted from typical Silicon Valley investing to backing companies working on humanity's biggest challenges.

Listen as Patty talks about teaching her son to invest in her fund at age eight, the awkwardness of mixing money and personal relationships when fundraising, and her deep belief that we all need to stay involved with critical thinking as the world teeters on instability. This is a conversation about building wealth while keeping your eyes on the long-term future of our planet.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up with the epigenetics of Holocaust survival and what it means to count every penny
2. Learning that the first leap is the hardest, but once you're an immigrant, there's more optionality
3. Why early career is about experiencing different things to figure out what makes you tick
4. Understanding that venture capital isn't for everyone and choosing the right financial partners is like marriage with children
5. Making the pivot from lazy Silicon Valley investing to backing nuclear fusion and geothermal energy
6. Teaching your kids that privilege isn't random and comes from working very hard
7. Why the world needs critical thinking and long-term vision when everything feels unstable

 

Connect with Patty online:

Website: https://www.avila.vc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciahalfenwexler/

Instagram: @pattywexler @avila.vc

 

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