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Change is hard, even when it's right. A few weeks ago, I stood in front of our community at our annual Summit in New Orleans and announced that Let's Talk Ops—the name I chose eight years ago, the community I built from scratch—was evolving into something new.
I'm excited. I'm proud. And if I'm being honest, I'm also a little tearful to say goodbye to a name that has meant so much to me and to so many of us over the years.
Let's Talk Ops, colloquially known as LTO, wasn't something I planned to build. It happened by accident, or maybe by necessity, back in 2017. I was doing what any smart VC operator would do when they’re drowning in the work: trying to resource myself. I thought that expanding my network, asking questions, and being curious about what my peers were doing within their firms and roles would be an unlock to my own growth and improvement. On top of this need, the venture ecosystem was evolving rapidly. Emerging managers were popping up by the dozen, dominating the conversations and the capital allocation. I needed to keep pace and sharpen my skills in lockstep.
What started as a handful of us meeting at Silicon Valley Bank's San Francisco WeWork location turned into something much bigger than I ever imagined. Over the years, LTO became a lifeline for operators, platform professionals, finance experts, marketing strategists, and talent leads across the country. These were the people building the non-investing side of venture capital, often without a roadmap or a peer group to lean on.
I was fortunate to have early supporters at SVB and other ecosystem players like Frank Rimerman, AWS, and Burkland, who saw the value of what we were trying to do. They believed in the power of this group before we even knew what we were building. And together, we built something special, authentic, and exciting.
But here's the thing about building something important: it doesn't stay static. It grows. It evolves. Eventually, it outgrows the container in which you first put it.
Over the past year, our (growing!) team took a hard look at how we present ourselves to the world. What started as a simple website refresh (my 2017 Squarespace creation was showing its age) became a much deeper reflection on who we've become.
Through discovery interviews with longtime members, new partners, and peers across the venture ecosystem, a few things became crystal clear:
So, we evolved.
VIA—pronounced "Vee-uh"—stands for Venture. Influence. Ambition. It represents the path we've built together. A network of bold operators and platform professionals driving the venture ecosystem forward. It also captures the momentum propelling this exceptional collective as they go above and beyond to deliver excellence every day, in every way.
Venture is our foundation. It's the world we operate in, the ecosystem we strengthen, and the firms we make better.
Influence is what we have, regardless of whether it's recognized or rewarded. Our members are the unsung heroes, strategizing, building, and problem-solving. They’re often the first call founders make when they need help most. They’re the ones championing their firms at every touchpoint. They shape decisions, drive execution, and move the needle.
Ambition is what brought everyone here and what will carry them forward. In this community, ambition is the requirement for entry. We welcome it, celebrate it, and help turn it into momentum.
What Hasn't Changed
While our look has evolved, what defines us has not:
Generosity.
Authenticity.
Care.
Excellence.
These values remain at the heart of everything we do. VIA is still the place where you can ask real questions, get rapid-fire answers, and know that the person on the other end genuinely wants you to succeed. It's still the community that shows up at 2:00 a.m. (trust me, I'm there right now with another member who is helping me logistically execute this rebrand into the wee hours of the night) because someone needs support, and we don't let each other struggle alone.
We're still raising the stakes across the entire industry. We're still fighting to be recognized and compensated fairly for our work. We're still showing up fully, bringing others in, and making space for the whole of who we are.
The people in this community are what make it extraordinary. Their enthusiasm, commitment, and passion are why I've spent countless hours building this. They are the reason VIA exists.
What I Hope This Evolution Means To VIA’s Members
I want you to be excited about this evolution. I hope it reflects not just a maturing of our community, but an elevation of your work as vital contributors to your firms' collective success.
I hope you embrace the influence you have and feel empowered to be ambitious in your goals and career aspirations. You deserve a seat at the table. You deserve the economics that match your impact. You deserve a brand that signals to the world how exceptional you are.
This rebrand is about recognizing what you've always been and giving you the platform to become even more.
Moving Forward
We're thrilled to debut our new website with resources and a media kit to help you share VIA with your teams, GPs, peers, and broader network.
If you'd like to help us spread the word, we'd love your support on LinkedIn and Instagram. We’ve also created sample language that you can use to promote it via your personal LinkedIn account. Let's show the world what we've built together!
Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for trusting me to steward this community through its next chapter. Thank you for being the kind of people who make me believe that the best is yet to come.
Here's to VIA. Here's to you. Here's to what's ahead.
