The Michael Jordan of edtech investing’ is how Tom McCarthy was first introduced to none other than Michael Moe, a legendary name in our field and founder and CEO of GSV and the ASU+GSV summits of the past decade. In this inspiring and recent interview, Tom—author of “The Breakthrough Code” and a performance coach for numerous companies, board member of more than a half dozen companies, early stage investor in over 40 companies—asks Michael all about how he came to where he is now with edtech, what are those common elements that make up the most successful companies and the traits of the people who lead them, and a lot more. If you’re an edtech startup founder, team member, or looking for some inspiring words of wisdom in business and in life, get comfortable and even take some notes—this is an hour well spent.
Before edtech, Michael was an early investor in companies like Starbucks, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify. Here, Michael talks about how you can build winning teams and companies, and also shares exactly what he looks for in leaders and early stage companies that let him know their chances for success. GSV has several funds focused on the digital learning sector and has invested in Coursera, Chegg, Course Hero, Masterclass, and Guild Education. GSV stands for “Global Silicon Valley,” inspired by the entrepreneurial mindset of Silicon Valley spreading throughout the world. Michael is the co-founder of the ASU+GSV Summit, which Forbes called “the Davos of Education.”
Prior to GSV, Michael was the Founder and CEO of ThinkEquity Partners, Head of Global Growth Research at Merrill Lynch, and was voted to be on the Institutional All American Research Team and named “Best on the Street” by the Wall Street Journal. Michael is the author of three books, “Finding the Next Starbucks”, “the Global Silicon Valley Handbook” and his most recent, “The Mission Corporation.” Michael holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Minnesota and is a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). He and his wife Bonnie live in Dallas, Texas where they moved to in 2021 after living in Silicon Valley for twenty-five years.
Learn more about The Breakthrough Code book, visit here. You can listen to the interview on Apple Podcasts, or better, watch it here.
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