TEAM
Jim Scheinman is the Founding Managing Partner at Maven Ventures, a leading seed stage venture firm for emerging consumer software and autonomous technology startups. Jim has been fortunate to have achieved five unicorn exits ($1B+ exits/valuations) in his career in roles ranging from founder, executive, and investor. His top performers include Zoom, Cruise & Bebo. Jim is one of the leading growth experts in Silicon Valley & has a TED talk. He’s now most well known for naming Zoom.
Sara Deshpande is a Partner at Maven Ventures where she invests broadly in high growth consumer software, with a focus on mobile, digital health, family tech, marketplaces, alternative protein, and other emerging consumer trends. Since joining Maven as the first employee in 2014, Sara has been part of over 30 investments and 9 exits including Zoom (IPO, “ZM”), Cruise (acquired by GM), and Chariot (acquired by Ford). Select investments include Gennev, Wildtype, Pledge, Frame, Hello Heart, Carrot Fertility, Embark, Daybreak Health, Simulate (Nuggs), and Eden.
Sara has advised and invested in consumer and tech startup founders around the globe for over 12 years. She is a lecturer on entrepreneurship at the Stanford GSB and a regular contributor to Forbes on Venture Capital. Previously, she managed an accelerator and programming for hundreds of startups at The Idea Village, an entrepreneurship engine in New Orleans, and was a management consultant in the Healthcare Strategy practice at Deloitte. Sara holds a BS in Finance from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and an MBA from Stanford University.
Robert Ravanshenas is a Senior Associate at Maven Ventures. He joined Maven in 2015 as the firm’s first Associate, supporting the investment team’s work backing many of Maven’s exceptional entrepreneurs. After three years in the role, he transitioned full time to a Maven portfolio company in the transportation sector, Skip, where he worked in roles across operations, business operations, and finance. He helped launch Skip’s scooter sharing service in Portland and San Francisco and worked alongside the startup’s leadership on strategic finance. Robert has since returned to Maven as a Senior Associate on the investing team.
Robert graduated from Duke University, where he earned a BS in Economics with a focus on Finance and Management and was a finalist in the Duke Startup Challenge with his company Alma Matters, a crowdfunding platform for university students’ research and projects. Robert wrote his college admissions essay on the birth of social media and its impact on his high school, foreshadowing his career working in consumer VC. Outside of work you can find him jamming on the piano with his friends or channeling his inner Federer on the tennis court.
Jay Drain Jr. is an Associate at Maven Ventures where he invests in and supports founders with a vision worth fighting for. Jay joined Maven in Fall 2020, lifting the size of Maven’s investing team to four – its largest ever. Jay previously worked as an analyst in Goldman Sachs’ Global Markets Division for two years, covering hedge funds on the Cross Asset Sales desk in New York City, and as a Summer Associate at pre-seed venture firm Amplify.LA. Jay graduated from Amherst College, where he earned a BA in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought, and was a member of the Men’s Track & Field team.
Outside of the office, Jay is an active member of BLCK VC, the Director of Programs for Project Love Chicago, and a Mentor Coach with America Needs You.
Cortney Hsu is the Executive Assistant at Maven supporting Jim and Sara. Cortney joins Maven with a wealth of experience from General Atlantic, Prospect Venture Partners, and Credit Suisse.
This is a transitional role; most will start their own companies or join a portfolio team. Our most recent team member in this capacity was Ben Hoffman, who is now an active advisor to several companies in the Maven portfolio.
- Collaborative: We are not political. We are willing to share praise, and be honest and transparent with each other.
- No jerks: We are happy, positive, and fun to work with.
- Accountable: We are high-performing, get stuff done, and value attention to detail.
- Curious: We are always willing to learn. We are knowledgeable and strive to be experts in our field.
- Self-starters: We take initiative, work autonomously, and are resourceful.