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StartingBlock: Lunch with a Founder – featuring Chris Eckstrom at StartingBlock
December 5, 2023 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
These part educational, part networking events are the perfect way to meet other founders in the region, learn from other people’s entrepreneurial journeys, and get plugged into the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Wisconsin.
This month Chris Eckstrom, Co-Founder & Partner of Rock River Capital Partners LLC will discuss:
– How founding a VC fund (idea, raising capital, deploying capital) is like a start-up….in some ways harder
– Observations of the WI start-up scene after 7 years.
– What the ideal start-up looks like from the VCs standpoint.
– Pitfalls (and success) we have seen in our portfolio
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In 2016, Chris relocated from Chicago to Madison with his family and co-founded Rock River Capital in 2017 alongside Andy Walker. Their focus: supporting Wisconsin-based early-stage startups. Together, they raised a $27 million venture capital fund and have invested in 14 local startups, including URL Genius, RoofMarketplace, Sift Healthcare, and SmartCare.
Chris’s financial acumen is drawn from his experience leading the Chicago investment team at Macquarie, where he managed over $2 billion in special situations investments. He also has a background as a Senior Analyst at Black Diamond Capital Management and experience working at two global investment banks in Chicago, Denver and London. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
This in person event is FREE and open to members and non-members of StartingBlock Madison. New entrepreneurs and students encouraged. Lunch will be provided.