#46: Cody Simms, Partner at Techstars, on Building Great Companies and Supporting Entrepreneurs Around the World
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Show Notes
Cody is a Partner at Techstars – the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed – and works as steward of Techstars' equity investments and venture capital funds for one of the most active early stage venture investors in the world. As of October 2018, Techstars is investing in 460 companies per year and the Techstars portfolio has gone on to raise nearly $6Bn in follow-on capital. Techstars Accelerator programs are the first investor in 5% of all Series A financings in the USA. Cody works at the board level with companies including Two Bit Circus, StatMuse, WELL Health, Tasso, WeBuyGold, and GameWisp.
Previously, Cody was Executive Director at Techstars and head of Techstars accelerator investments and operations in North America, which roughly doubled in size to over 20 locations across the region and ~200 investments per year during his tenure. Cody joined Techstars in 2013 to launch and serve as Managing Director for the Disney Accelerator, powered by Techstars, co-investing in 20 startups alongside The Walt Disney Company in 2014 and 2015.
Earlier in his career, Cody held roles including Chief Product Officer at StumbleUpon, Vice President of Product Management at Yahoo, and Product Manager at The New York Times, Sprint, and NBC Internet.
Cody holds an M.A. in Transnational Communication and Global Media from Goldsmiths College, University of London, and is a Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Kansas with a B.A. in History and East Asian Languages and Cultures with emphasis on Mandarin Chinese.