Venture Capital, Reimagined: A Conversation with Mike Collins

Venture Capital, Reimagined: A Conversation with Mike Collins

Author: Burkland January 27, 2026 Duration: 28:09
VC pioneer Mike Collins built his firm around his passionate belief that venture capital investing shouldn’t be limited to a select few. In this episode of Startup Success, host Kate sits down with Mike Collins, Founder and CEO of Alumni Ventures, to discuss how one of the most active VC firms in the world is redefining access to venture investing, along with his advice for today’s founders and his perspective on the evolving startup ecosystem.  

Alumni Ventures takes a unique approach to venture capital, investing alongside top-tier firms while drawing capital from a network of individual accredited investors. With more than 11,000 investors, over $1.5B raised, and 1,000+ portfolio companies, the firm has built a powerful ecosystem that benefits both founders and investors.

Tune in to learn:
  • What Mike and Alumni Ventures look for when evaluating startups

  • Why AI is transformative—but not the only sector worth watching

  • Mike’s key advice to founders, summed up in 3 words

  • What sets Alumni Ventures apart from other VC firms
Tune in to hear Mike’s perspective on the future of venture capital, why we’re in a golden age of innovation, and how Alumni Ventures leverages its extensive network to help founders succeed.

Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn!
 
🔗 Learn more about Alumni Ventures at av.vc

Tuning into Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors feels less like attending a formal lecture and more like pulling up a chair in a room full of people who have actually built and funded companies. Hosted by the team at Burkland, the conversations here move beyond theory to focus on the tangible, often messy, realities of scaling a business. You’ll find episodes that feel timely, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities that founders and investors are navigating right now. The dialogue is driven by guests who have lived it-founders recounting pivotal moments from their journey and investors explaining the nuances behind their decisions. This isn't about generic advice; it's about the operational details that make or break growth. Each discussion naturally narrows in on a single, critical pressure point, whether that's untangling a complex financing round, refining a go-to-market strategy, or building a culture that can withstand rapid hiring. The value of this podcast lies in its specificity and the credibility of the voices featured. It serves as a practical resource for anyone actively involved in the lifecycle of a startup, offering perspectives that are immediately applicable to your own work. By focusing on real stories and current trends, the series provides a grounded, actionable look at what genuine progress requires from both sides of the founder-investor relationship.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors
Podcast Episodes
From Pain Point to Passion to Thriving Startup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:07
In this episode of Startup Success, we are joined by Daniel Loreto, founder of Jetify, who dives into his journey from working at tech giants like Google, Twitter, and Airbnb to launching his own startup. Daniel shares h…
A Customer-Driven Startup Success Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:26
There is no getting around the power of customer feedback in building a successful startup.In this episode of Startup Success, we sit down with Luke Kim, founder and CEO of Liner, an AI-powered search tool revolutionizin…
Lessons from a VC on Series A and More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:33
In this episode of Startup Success, we're joined by Manish Patel, founding partner at Nava Ventures and self-described accidental venture capitalist. Manish shares his fascinating journey into venture capital, including…
Reimagining the Future of Work with AI Employees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:48
In this episode of Startup Success, we sit down with Surojit Chatterjee, the CEO and founder of Ema, a generative AI platform poised to transform the future of work. With a career spanning high-level roles at Google and…
The Story Behind the AI Startup Powering Services You Use Every Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:29
In this episode of Startup Success, we dive into the incredible entrepreneurial journey of Russ d’Sa, Co-Founder and CEO of LiveKit, a startup that evolved from a pandemic side project into an open-source development sta…
A Fascinating Look at a Groundbreaking AI Startup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:53
In this episode of Startup Success, host Kate Adams sits down with Vlad Voroninski, CEO and co-founder of Helm.ai, an AI software startup that is developing the world's safest and most advanced autonomous driving systems…
Building a Revolutionary Biotech Startup: The Challenges & Surprises [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:50
What if the powerful nutritional compounds in breast milk could be harnessed to improve the health of people of all ages? Today, we’re sitting down with Laura Katz, CEO and founder of Helaina, a groundbreaking biotech st…
What Every Founder Must Know about Patents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:09
For startups, even software startups, figuring out what is worth patenting is one of the most important moves a founder needs to make.That’s where our guest today comes in. Jeff Schox, Founding Partner and Patent Attorne…