early-stage investor

erikmoore
Erik Moore
about

One of the earliest and most prominent Black investors in venture capital.

For two decades I've turned access into opportunity -- for founders, for investors, and for the next disruptive idea. Fifteen years in investment banking at Merrill Lynch taught me the numbers. A decade as an angel taught me the people.

I believe luck is made where opportunity meets preparation. My job is to be early, be right, and stay an unabashed optimist about who gets to build.

erik on pbs newshour -- his story in his own words.

recognition & impact
  • boardSurf Air former board member
  • awardEntrepreneur of the Year Oakland African American Chamber · Ford Man of Courage
  • awardNext Generation of Excellence Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce
  • honor10 Most Influential Black Leaders in Silicon Valley Business Insider
  • honorFeatured in the Wall Street Journal & USA Today
  • boardThe Black Ambition Prize current board chair · founded by Pharrell Williams
  • boardCommon Ground Foundation founded by Grammy, Oscar, and Emmy award-winning artist Common
  • boardRussell Simmons' Art For Life former board member
  • internsJaylen Brown former intern · nba
  • civicDartmouth AlumniDartmouth Alumni Advisory Council former advisory councilformer advisory member
  • boardOakland Museum of California former board member
  • boardPigeonly justice-tech · board member
  • boardThe Hidden Genius Project board member
  • boardThe 1954 Project board member · $1M grants to innovative education leaders
  • boardWildfang former board member
  • boardWill Perform former board member & lead investor · co-founded by Serena Williams and Eric Ryan
  • civicCity of Oakland Fund Advisory Board former advisory board member
press
business insider
10 most influential in tech
named among tech's most influential black leaders, alongside google's david drummond and microsoft's john thompson.
wall street journal
the journal takes note
the wsj on the zappos angel turned fund manager.
usa today
a real deal venture capitalist
a national profile of the investor behind zappos and base ventures.
forbes
serena williams feels your pain
on serena launching a wellness company — with erik among the early backers.
moguldom
stand out from the crowd
the early bet on his neighbor's startup that returned ~60x and seeded base ventures.
black enterprise
the discipline behind the bets
how erik reads founders, and the hype he refuses to chase.
this week in startups
marketing, messaging & hustle
erik with jared fliesler and rapper too $hort on distribution and hustle.
that moment when
success is being content
erik on purpose, contentment, and the long game.
mike dorsey
the power of mentorship
a conversation on mentorship and building base ventures.
rob wilson tv
sell your company to amazon for $1b
the zappos playbook — how the acquisition came together.
the lauder institute
2021 graduation speaker
erik's commencement address at penn's lauder institute.
the battery
beyond happiness
authentic leadership and purpose, at the battery sf.
the hidden genius project
alumni venture seed fund
backing the next generation of black technologists.
mistah f.a.b.
thug therapy
on mental health and community for black men.
astor chambers
culture raises us
black consumerism and participation in modern culture.

attention is the most valuable asset on earth. creators are the new founders.

now

Founder| fewture.fund

Today I'm backing creator-led ventures in IP, consumer brands, and enabling technology. Most founders spend years trying to build an audience. Creators start with one -- and the next generation of category-defining companies will come from people who already own attention.

Same instinct I've always had: get there before consensus. Back the founder nobody has figured out yet.

fewture fund: (explainer video on what we really do)

connect
Dartmouth| BA  ·  Wharton| MBA  ·  University of Pennsylvania| MA french