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The VC Perspective: Insights from Top NYC VCs on AI, Startups and Efficiency
1 hour
CPE credits
AI and automation have redefined operational excellence, setting a new standard for companies worldwide.
But how are these technologies reshaping the way investors assess and advise businesses? More importantly, how are top startups and operators leveraging AI and automation in 2025 to unlock unprecedented levels of productivity and efficiency? Check out this roundtable led by Ramp’s Expert-in-Residence, Dave Wieseneck, as he delves into these questions with some of NYC’s leading venture capitalists.
About the speakers
Yashoda Clark
Vice President, Thrive Capital
Yashoda leads the Corporate Finance & Strategy pillar of Thrive's Portfolio Impact team. In her role, she supports portfolio companies across sectors and stages in navigating capital raises, formulating capital allocation strategies, assisting with M&A, and more. Prior to joining Thrive, she spent the majority of her career as an operator, most recently serving as the CFO of Ollie. She previously held finance leadership roles at Squarespace and Etsy.
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David Wieseneck
Expert-In-Residence, Ramp
With 15 years of experience as a finance operator and advisor across 7+ fast-growing tech startups, David's career has rallied around one core purpose: building high-performance teams that scale operations with cutting-edge technology. Having previously ran the finance teams at Demostack, letgo, & Ollie Pets & as an advisor for Carta, Justworks, Navan, and Ironclad, he now serves Ramp as their first-ever Expert-In-Residence. David implemented Ramp with 3 past companies, making him a seasoned authority in their products and workflows. Today, he leads the team by shaping user experiences, both internally and customer-facing, with a unique curiosity and passion for building the future of financial technology.
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Emily Man
Partner, Primary Ventures
Emily is a Partner at Primary, leading new investments in fintech and enterprise software companies. She loves going deep into unsexy industries and partnering with determined founders who are challenging the status quo. Before Primary, Emily was at Redpoint Ventures investing across early and growth stage companies. She started her career as a hedge fund analyst at Point72 before helping build Point72 Ventures, the early stage venture practice. Emily earned her BA from Columbia University where she graduated summa cum laude.
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Jodi Kessler, Partner, 3L Capital
Partner, 3L Capital
Jodi is a Partner and founding team member at 3L Capital, a growth equity firm with headquarters in New York and Los Angeles with $500M in AUM. Jodi invests in North American B2B, Commerce, and Technology-enabled businesses at their earliest inflection point across industries that are undergoing meaningful digital transformation. At 3L, Jodi led the firm's investments in and is a Board Member at AvantStay, Vivrelle, and PartnerStack, and is a Board Observer at Daily Harvest. Jodi has been investing in and advising technology companies for nearly 15 years. She began her career as an operating specialist within the Operational Excellence Practice at Apax Partners, a global private equity firm. During her time at Apax, she collaborated closely with the firm's portfolio companies across the consumer, retail, media, and technology sectors, spearheading digital transformation initiatives to drive growth and profitability. Jodi also spent time at Morgan Stanley, advising clients in the media and communications sectors on M&A transactions. Jodi received her undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard University, where she was also a member of the Division I Women’s Ice Hockey team, and received her MBA from Columbia Business School. Beyond her professional life, Jodi enjoys traveling and working on her golf game. Jodi resides in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband and two young children.
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