Viaka Newsletter: Consumer Investing & the Business of Video Games with Fawzi Itani!
Before diving in this week, our hearts go out to the people of Morocco suffering from the aftermath of last week’s earthquake. If you have the ability to donate to the emergency responses, some folks on the ground have suggested Islamic Relief. 🇲🇦
This week, we sat down with Fawzi Itani!
What do you currently do?
I'm an investor at Forerunner Ventures, a consumer-focused venture capital firm investing at early-stage and growth. We have over $2B in assets under management and invest in a range of categories at the center of evolving societal needs, human behavior, and modern culture, including health and wellness, ecommerce, retail, fintech, future of work, AI, and more. We've partnered with companies like Chime, Faire, Hims & Hers, The Farmer's Dog, OURA, and Glossier among so many other incredible founders and companies.
What prompted you to go down this career path and how did you get into this field?
Mine is a story of meandering! While I was working at LinkedIn across a variety of go-to-market functions, I helped start a research and advisory firm on the side called Naavik that analyzes the business of video games. Over four years, I had the opportunity to learn and connect with a ton of entrepreneurs and investors, which naturally led me down the venture route. I strongly believe that games and digital economies have (and will continue to) pave the way for next-gen consumer experiences and commerce. As a research- and thesis-driven consumer venture firm, Forerunner was the perfect fit!
What originally got you interested in connecting with the MENA startup ecosystem and other like-minded folks in Europe/North America?
I'm an American-born Palestinian / Lebanese and am particularly inspired by the grit, creativity, and entrepreneurialism of our region. A long time ago I interned at a venture firm called Silicon Badia in Jordan after attending high school there. Getting to know the nascent startup in Jordan was so energizing, and it was obvious from my time there how quickly the MENA scene would boom across specifically Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi. I think it's safe to say that's the case today! When I first started my career, however, there was so little MENA representation within the company -- the friends I made during that time are still some of my closest personally and professionally. This was surprising to me, given how much of a history of entrepreneurialism our region has. I've made it my goal to connect with as many of the disparate pockets of us as possible.
What types of connections are you looking to make through Viaka? This can be from the MENA side, as well as with other MENA-connected folks in the Viaka Network
It's been so fun to meet people starting their tech and investing journeys. My favorite part of this community has been everyone's willingness to jam on ideas and trends, to exchange advice, and to meetup IRL. I'd love to continue meeting diaspora and American-born MENA founders building in North America.
Bonus: favorite dish from the MENA world?
Can any Arab name a dish that isn't their Grandma's speciality, haha! My favorite is mograhbieh, which most people think closely resembles couscous but I call "Lebanese Pasta". The sauce on this dish is to die for! If you're reading this and know of a restaurant that serves mograhbieh in the Bay, let's go together!
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Viaka Connect pulls together the top fractional service providers, freelancers, consultants and agencies in the Network, puts them in one place, and makes it super easy to access their services.
Our Viaka Connect experts are now offering workshops and office hours for Viaka Network members.
Don’t miss this opportunity to benefit from free 1:1 consultations and expertise!
In the next 2 weeks, we have the following sessions:
Office Hours - Cover your technical questions with Kevin Mannix
Office Hours - Building your tech team for growth with Fadi Boulos
Workshop - Gen AI in the world of startup growth with Javed Maqsood
Upcoming Events
Below is a list of upcoming events from the Viaka Network & beyond over the next couple of weeks!
Startup Boston is this week! This free event is THE annual gathering for New England’s startup ecosystem. Get tickets here.
Bits & Pretzels side event 🥨 We’re involved in a MENA gathering on the evening of Sept 24th. DM me for details!
eCommerce Demo Day 🛍 On September 26th, 5 Viaka Network commerce startups will present to a panel of 4 investors. Join the audience here.
Al-Kindi Club & Dr. Nadine Hacham-Haram On September 27th, Al-Kindi Club in London is hosting the founder & CEO of Proximie, a digital platform that connects surgeons during live operations and helps them share their expertise from anywhere in the world. RSVP here.
If you’d like to share an event in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
Work Opportunities
Recent job openings from the Viaka Network & beyond. If you apply, let me know so I can also make a personal introduction.
JP Morgan is hiring a Commercial Startup Banker in LA - Apply here
Nelo is hiring a Sr. Credit Analyst in NYC - Apply here
Growdash is hiring a Customer Success leader in Kuwait - Details here
Audo is hiring an Enterprise Account Executive - Reply to this email for details
If you’d like to share a job posting in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
Reads of the Week
Viaka has launched a Network Reading List, where Network members are encouraged to submit media suggestions of their own.
Can the startup ecosystem and welfare state coexist? (Realistic Optimist)
Dina Sherif | The Road to MIT: Love, Loss, & Philanthropy; Unveiling Dina's Inspirational Journey (Identity Capital)
Check out Viaka’s full reading list here.
That’s it for this week. Thank you! 👋
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