Caitlin S.
5.0
(9)
Venture Capital Expert | Partner @ Top Firm | Harvard MBA
Studied at Harvard Business School
Worked at Lerer Hippeau
Hiring Manager
Available Wednesday at 1:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Caitlin's Coaching Offerings
Land a Top Venture Capital Offer: Start-to-Finish
Expert help on everything from getting the interview to landing the offer.
Starting at $1,27510h+ of coaching
Nail The VC Interviews
Crush the interview through drills, frameworks, mock interviews, and more.
Starting at $1,27510h+ of coaching
Advance Your Career in VC
Expert coaching to elevate your skills and achieve your VC goals.
Starting at $1,27510h+ of coaching
Custom hourly · $150/hr
Get help with Skill Building, Venture Capital Strategy, and .
Caitlin’s Venture Capital Qualifications
Experience level: Partner
10+ people coached for Venture Capital
With over a decade of experience in the VC industry, I've had the privilege of partnering with and supporting over 30 companies as a board member and investor. As a former Partner at Lerer Hippeau, I led investments in both enterprise and consumer companies, and currently, I advise and invest across the startup ecosystem. My background includes roles at top firms like FirstMark Capital and Flybridge Capital Partners, where I honed my skills in sourcing, diligence, and portfolio support. I've coached 20+ individuals, helping them navigate the complexities of venture capital recruiting and career. If you're looking to break into venture capital, manage your venture career, prepare for interviews, prepare for IC meetings or interested in guidance on your startup journey, feel free to reach out! Recognitions Include: - Forbes 30 under 30 - Business Insider: The Most Important VCs in NYC (2021-2024) - Business Insider: 9 VCs that every Early-stage Consumer Founder Should Know
Caitlin can help with:
Skill Building
Venture Capital Strategy
Deal Sourcing
Portfolio Management
LinkedIn Review
Promotion Strategy
Resume Review
Networking Strategy
Due Diligence
Investment Evaluation
Salary Negotiation
Technical Interview Prep
Fundraising
Behavioral Interview Prep
General Exploration
About Caitlin
I’m a VC partner, former startup operator, and Harvard MBA, recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and Business Insider for my work supporting early-stage companies. I began my career building and scaling startups across product, strategy, and operations before transitioning into venture investing. Over time, I grew from analyst to partner, gaining firsthand experience on both sides of the table. I’ve advised countless founders, operators, and aspiring investors on navigating career transitions, scaling companies, and fundraising. My coaching style is practical, strategic, and tailored to what’s happening in today’s real-world industry landscape. Whether you’re looking to break into startups, land a venture role, or level up into leadership, I can help you execute a clear, actionable plan.
Why do I coach?
I broke into startups and venture capital without a traditional background — no connections, no playbook, no plan. Along the way, the right mentors helped me navigate key transitions, take big leaps, and build a career I couldn’t have imagined at the start. Now, I coach and mentor to pay that forward. Whether you’re breaking into startups, landing a VC role, leveling up in your career, or starting a company, I’m can help you move faster, avoid common pitfalls, and build a clear, confident path forward.
Work Experience
Early-Stage Investor
Self
May 2024 - Present
Hiring Manager
Currently advising, consulting and investing across the startup ecosystem, including early-stage startups and VC firms. I'm currently on the board of Advocate, Hello Cake, Topicals and Aerflo. These companies have raised $200M+ in venture funding. I'm also a Venture Partner at an early stage venture firm that has invested in companies like Coinbase, Harry's, Oscar, Scopely and Task Rabbit.
Partner
Lerer Hippeau
May 2018 - May 2024
Hiring Manager
Lerer Hippeau is the most active early-stage venture fund in NYC with $1.5B+ AUM. Their portfolio includes over 350 leading enterprise and consumer businesses, such as Guideline, MIRROR, Warby Parker, Glossier, K Health, Allbirds, and ZenBusiness among others. As a Partner at Lerer Hippeau, I led Pre-seed, Seed and Series A investments across both enterprise and consumer companies. My involvement includes sourcing, diligence, deal closing, syndicate creation, portfolio support and M&A. I also held board seats and supported companies across early to late stages for over 30+ companies. Companies I’ve had the privilege of partnering and serving as a board member: 10Beauty: Fully automated manicure device for salons Advocate: Turbo Tax for government benefits Aerflo: Carbonation device that reduces single-use plastics Bookkeep: Financial automation for modern businesses Cake: Next-gen sexual health & wellness brand CAMP: Next-gen Toys "R" US for modern families Cure: Better-for-you hydration powder Flare: Personal safety software and device (Acquired by Smart Alert) Learnexus: Learning & Development platform and talent marketplace Medly Pharmacy: Full stack pharmacy for same-day prescriptions (Acquired by Walgreens) Onward: Fintech solution for modern families Pando: Employee progression software for the modern workforce Parade: Next-gen intimates apparel brand for Gen Z (Acquired by Ariela & Associates) Plantible Foods: Developer and distributor of Rubi, a novel plant-based protein Recast: Cross platform analytics for modern brands via Bayesian Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) Sequencing: Whole genome sequencing and analysis platform Studs: Next-gen brand for ear piercings & adornment Sweet Reason: Cannabis beverage brand (Acquired by Cann) The Inside: On-demand custom upholstered furniture (Acquired by Havenly) Topicals: Skincare brand for chronic skin conditions
Vice President
FirstMark Capital
September 2016 - May 2018
FirstMark is an early stage venture capital firm based in New York City. Our mission is to partner with entrepreneurs who are focused on solving meaningful problems. Firstmark's portfolio includes businesses like Pinterest, Shopify, Airbnb, Riot Games, InVision, and Tapad.
Associate
Flybridge Capital Partners
August 2012 - August 2014
Flybridge is an early-stage venture capital with offices in Boston and New York City. With $1B+ assets under management, the firm is focused on investing in seed and early stage technology companies and is led by a team with domain expertise.
Director of Business Development
LearnVest
February 2012 - August 2012
LearnVest (www.learnvest.com) is a personal finance product for subscription-based access to financial advisors. LearnVest promotes financial literacy and empowerment through content, tools and financial advisory services. LearnVest was acquired by Northwestern Mutual in 2015.
Associate Director of Business Development
behance
July 2010 - March 2012
Behance (www.behance.net) is the leading online platform to showcase and discover creative work. Creative professionals broadcast their work widely and efficiently, and companies access talent on a global scale. Millions use Behance to display and find talent every month. Behance was acquired by Adobe in 2012.
Education
Cornell College
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), History; Science & Technology Studies
Activities and societies: Sphinx Head Senior Honor Society, Slope Media Group, Slope Radio, Slope TV, Slope Magazine, Kappa Alpha Theta, Mortar Board Honor Society, Lightweight Crew
Harvard Business School
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
2014 - 2016
Activities and societies: Rock Venture Partner, VC/PE Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Startup Lockdown. Led 1st year final exam review session for required course - The Entrepreneurial Manager
9 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Caitlin has helped Leland clients get into RTP Global