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
Using Demand Generation to Drive Revenue & Growth at Startups [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:19
Startup marketing expert Scott Gelber joins us for an in-depth discussion on how startups can use demand generation and account-based marketing to ramp their revenue pipelines. Scott is the founder of SRG Marketing, a di…