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Sonia Weymuller (VentureSouq) - How VentureSouq came to be, why she describes herself as an accidental outlier in everything, and what her own philosophy of impact investing is
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In this episode, we're having a chat with Sonia Weymuller, Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a GCC-based Venture Capital firm. Launched in 2013, VSQ is active in the MENA region with a global portfolio of 200+ companies, as well as developing rich educational content around venture investing.
Sonia is the most conscious investor in the MENA region. Arriving into the world of VC from an unconventional path, I wanted to share with you her life story and adventures that brought her to Dubai and to backing entrepreneurs in the region.
We talked about:
- Sonia's unconventional path to becoming an established VC
- How VentureSouq started as an informal gathering of interested investors
- Sonia's philosophy on conscious investing and what you need to know
- The traits you need to be a founder worth investing in
Enjoy!
Timestamps:
- 2:15 Sonia's childhood, and being an accidental outlier in everything
- 7:57 Joining Microsoft, Viacom, and Sonia's experience with headhunters
- 11:02 The number 1 skill Sonia learned with these companies
- 11:44 What prompted Sonia to move to Dubai
- 12:56 Getting confronted with mortality
- 13:42 How VentureSouq started with a birthday party
- 16:00 How a team of 4 different personalities made VentureSouq thrive
- 19:24 How The Five Languages of Love helped Sonia become a better investor
- 20:46 Conscious Collective: What it is and why it started
- 23:34 What are some misconceptions around impact?
- 26:05 The 1 trait that made Sonia a successful venture capitalist
- 31:00 The attributes to a good founder that's worth investing in
- 34:50 Sonia's relationship with imposter syndrome
- 37:19 How Sonia thinks about fundraising: Alignment is key
- 38:39 Sonia's general thoughts on the fundraising ecosystem
- 41:38 What one thing would Sonia change about this region
- 43:50 Sonia's Legacy and what she wants the next generation to strive towards
- 46:16 The book that Sonia carries everywhere with her
- 48:09 Stay motivated by being centered
Links:
- Sonia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/soniawey
- Sonia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniaweymuller/
- About VentureSouq: https://www.venturesouq.com/
- VentureSouq's Twitter: https://twitter.com/venturesouq
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