Alumni Ventures (AV) is the largest VC in North America for individual investors, offering access to professionally managed, diversified venture portfolios. AV has been recognized as a "Top 20 Venture Firm" by CB Insights ('24) and as the "#1 Most Active Venture Firm in the US" by Pitchbook (2022 & 2023).
Jin Kim, SVP of Investments and leader of AV’s platform (“CEO Services”) team is tasked with scaling talent support across their portfolio of over 1,200 active companies. Bolster partnered with Jin on virtual, in-person, and programmatic engagements to support the portfolio with executive leadership and board talent at scale.
Unlike larger firms with an army of portfolio and talent support teams and functions, Jin leads a lean team of three that supports all of AV’s portfolio companies and Managing Directors across the country.
Bolster specializes in executive search for high growth companies. We take a consultative approach to our clients and offer wrap-around services such as leadership 360s and team consultations that ensure that they are hiring the right executive at the right time.
After collaborating on webinars to share practical advice around scaling as a CEO, Jin and Bolster developed a series of regional CEO dinners. These dinners were coordinated by AV and co-hosted by Matt Blumberg, Bolster’s co-founder and Executive Chair, and other ecosystem partners to bring together CEOs in cities across the US to discuss challenges, share learnings, and network with one another.
Over the multi-year partnership, Bolster and AV have also partnered to offer the portfolio free talent strategy sessions and Bolster’s book series—Startup CEO, Startup CXO, and Startup Boards.
AV portfolio companies have leveraged Bolster across Full-Time and on-demand searches, Independent Board Member placements, and Leadership Consulting (CEO, Exec, and Board 360s) services. Companies within the AV portfolio continue to turn to Bolster for consultative support as well as placing transformational executives.
“We are inundated with requests by niche service providers to collaborate with our large number of portfolio companies so it’s helpful to have a one-stop-shop executive talent partner like Bolster that understands the specific culture of startups and needs of our CEOs. I know I can send any portfolio company with executive talent needs at any stage to them.”