What happens when a top accelerator leader decides the venture world needs a reboot?
Jenny Fielding, former Managing Director at Techstars and now Co-Founder of Everywhere Ventures, is doing just that—redesigning how startups are backed in a world where geography no longer defines opportunity.
In our latest episode, Jenny shares the story behind her transition from two-time founder to accelerator leader to fund builder—and how those experiences shaped her belief that the future of venture is global, decentralized, and founder-first.
Here’s a breakdown of the conversation, and why Jenny’s perspective is so timely for anyone building, investing, or dreaming about startups today:
The Traditional Venture Playbook Is Broken
For decades, startup success (and venture funding) were often tightly tied to location—Silicon Valley, New York, or a handful of other hubs. Jenny challenges that assumption head-on.
Her thesis: Talent is everywhere, and technology has leveled the playing field. Venture firms that cling to geography as a moat will be left behind.
At Everywhere Ventures, Jenny and her team are proving that great founders don’t need a Bay Area zip code to build world-changing companies—they just need the right early partners.
Lessons from Launching Thousands of Startups
During her years at Techstars, Jenny helped accelerate hundreds of startups and observed firsthand what separated the winners from the rest.
Spoiler: it wasn’t just technical skill or pedigree. It was resilience, adaptability, and founder-market fit.
Today, those same traits guide how Everywhere Ventures selects founders—emphasizing grit, vision, and velocity over resumes and warm intros.
Building a Community-First Fund
Everywhere Ventures isn’t just another early-stage fund. It’s structured as a global community of founders, operators, and investors who actively help portfolio companies succeed.
Jenny emphasizes that community is a strategic advantage—not a nice-to-have. In an increasingly noisy startup ecosystem, networks that truly deliver value can be the difference between surviving and scaling.
Key Takeaways for Founders and Investors
For Founders:
You don’t need to be in San Francisco or New York to build a category-defining company.
Choose investors who will roll up their sleeves—not just show up at board meetings.
Focus on finding product-market fit faster, with a network that helps accelerate, not slow down.
For Investors:
The best deals aren’t always in your backyard anymore.
Look beyond resumes and fancy degrees—bet on grit, insight, and execution.
Building community isn’t optional if you want to win in the next decade of venture.
Final Thought:
Jenny Fielding’s journey—from founding her own startups, to launching thousands of companies at Techstars, to building a new kind of global venture firm—shows that the best investors don’t just fund the future; they build the infrastructure for it.
Everywhere Ventures is a bet not just on great founders—but on a bigger, borderless vision for where innovation comes from next.
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Chapters:
Welcome & Guest Introduction (00:01 – 01:52)
From Founder to Accelerator Leader (01:53 – 06:47)
Lessons Learned at Techstars (06:48 – 11:15)
The Birth of Everywhere Ventures (11:16 – 15:32)
Investing Without Borders (15:33 – 20:44)
Traits of Great Founders (20:45 – 26:19)
Community-Driven Venture Model (26:20 – 32:07)
How VC is Changing Globally (32:08 – 37:11)
Advice for Early-Stage Founders (37:12 – 43:20)
The Role of Geography in Startup Success (43:21 – 47:05)
Rapid Fire Q&A (47:06 – 50:30)
Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Jenny (50:31 – 51:58)
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