Lauren Rinkey

Managing Partner

2021 - Current

New Guard Ventures is a consumer-focused investment & strategic advisory firm. We bring together the most value-add women executives, entrepreneurs, operators, and culture shapers, to invest in the most exciting, high-growth, mission-driven companies, always in partnership with world-class founders and investment funds. Investments include: Goodles, Function Health, Seed, Bubble (w PKC), Genexa (w PKC), Levels, Mid-Day Squares, CANN, Julie, Kroma, happy™, HumanCo, True Food Kitchen and beyond! Category Focus: Health & Wellness | Food | Beverage | Beauty | Personal Care | Pet | Fitness / Apparel | Commerce Technology

Head of Growth Equity & Venture (US)

2020

Point King Capital (PKC) provides long term growth equity and early-stage capital to phenomenal founders and entrepreneurs of outstanding global consumer companies across beauty, personal care, health, wellness and beyond. We only invest in opportunities where there is a genuine desire from management teams to have an active and supportive partner, and where there is an opportunity to utilize our expertise and resources to build powerful, profitable and durable brands. PKC is operator-led, and supported by a discrete group of investors consisting of best-in-class global entrepreneurs, and sophisticated family offices. PKC is proud to be a certified B-corp company. Investments: Bubble, Genexa, Murphy’s Naturals, Lyka, Crown Affair, Flamingo Estate, Ellis Brooklyn, Lanolips, Factor Bikes, The Beauty Chef, Au Rate, and more!

Operating Partner

2020

Springdale Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm born in Austin, Texas. We partner with visionary founders to accelerate growth of the most transformative consumer brands. Investments: Goodles, First Day, Beatbox Beverages, Caraway, happy, Eterneva, Literati, Feastables, TBD Health, The Absorption Company, and more!

Strategic Advisor

2021

Alongside our partner, CAA, Caravan works hand-in-hand with the world’s most iconic artists and athletes to co-found companies, starting on day one. We believe in the power of influence to authentically drive growth and foster deep loyalty between brand & consumer. We pride ourselves on diving into product categories that are often overlooked or untouched and creatively solving real consumer problems. Our team excels at leveraging proprietary data and reach to identify unique opportunities and build authentic brands with an immediate audience.

Adjunct Professor, Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

2013

Taking The Leap: The Entrepreneurial Mindset is the largest course at USC Marshall where we invite the world's leading entrepreneurs, innovators, and creative minds into the classroom to share their unique journey, mindset and life philosophies. The discussions are poignant, personal, and inspiring. Recent guests include: Arianna Huffington, Kobe Bryant, Sara Blakely, Mark Cuban, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Gloria Steinem, Tony Robbins, Cindy Crawford, Jessica Alba, Mark Burnett (The Voice, Shark Tank, Survivor), Will Ferrell, John Paul DeJoria (Paul Mitchell & Patrón), Gary Vaynerchuk, Scooter Braun, Brian Grazer (TV/Film Producer), Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac), Michael Gervais (Sports Psychologist), Laird Hamilton (Pro Surfer), Alex Honnold (Free Climber), as well as the founders of Siri, Headspace, Calm, SoulCycle, ClassPass, AWAY, Sweetgreen and many more!

Operating Partner, Consumer Wellness

2021 - 2022

The investment team at Virgo looks to partner with founder-run, mission-driven businesses with the potential to disrupt their industries in meaningful ways. Virgo Investment Group has been helping innovative businesses achieve breakthrough growth since 2009. Virgo has raised more than $1.8 billion and completed 60+ investments in transformative companies across healthcare, wellness, media and entertainment.

Vice President, Business Development

2018 - 2020

Alliance Consumer Growth (ACG) is a leading growth equity firm, which provides capital, value-added partnership, and industry-specific resources to the most promising emerging consumer and retail brands. Notable brands that ACG has successfully partnered with include Shake Shack (subsequently completed an IPO as NYSE: SHAK), KRAVE Jerky (subsequently acquired by The Hershey Company), barkTHINS (subsequently acquired by The Hershey Company), Babyganics (subsequently acquired by SC Johnson), EVOL Foods (subsequently acquired by Boulder Brands), SUJA Juice (subsequently acquired by The Coca-Cola Company), Harry’s, SKIMS, Herschel Supply Co., Good American, Tata Harper, Milk Makeup, Pacifica Beauty, OUAI Haircare, LOLA, Snooze, Blaze Pizza and Tender Greens, among others.

Advisor

2017 - 2018

TSG Consumer Partners is a leading investment firm with approximately $20 billion of assets under management, focused exclusively on the branded consumer sector. Since its founding in 1986, TSG has been an active investor in the food, beverage, restaurant, beauty, personal care, household and apparel & accessories, and e-commerce sectors. Responsible for sourcing investment opportunities.

Global Director | Nike+ Brand & Digital Services

2015 - 2017

Recruited to serve in a leadership role to build the newly created Nike+ Member Services division. Focused on creating exceptional experiences for the most highly engaged consumers across the Nike consumer direct ecosystem (Nike apps, Nike.com, Retail, Events, Communications, Consumer Services). Played a key role in the global launch of the Nike app (4.9* in App Store), which enables Nike to develop 1:1 relationships with consumers at scale, and personalize the brand experience by leveraging consumer preferences and data analytics.

Consultant | Strategic Brand & Growth

2013 - 2015