Monica Desai Weiss
Investor, Advisor & Writer
New York, New York
Overview
Work Experience
Investor, Advisor & Writer
2023 - Current
Investing in emerging LPs, advising early stage startups and writing a novel.
Investor
2018 - 2022
Invested in Seed, Series A/B startups, with a focus on fintech, crypto, and enterprise software. Supported the incredible teams behind Settle, Propel, Glean, Loom, Nova Credit, Audius, Feather, Esusu, Syndicate and Pattern Brands. Exits include Pillar (acq by Acorns), Bison Trails (acq by Coinbase). Established KP's scout community and NYC presence.
Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm that specializes in investing in early-stage, incubation, and growth companies.
Operations & Strategy
2017 - 2018
Blockchain is a GV and Lightspeed backed crypto wallet / digital assets platform available in 140+ countries with $70m in funding. I have worked on a number of initiatives: • Helped size, prioritize and launch our emerging institutional business. This effort included market sizing, hiring, GTM strategy, operation optimization, investigating M&A opportunities. It culminated with the successful launch of our OTC desk, research, trading and venture LOBs. • Mapped out stablecoin ecosystem and built our strategy for partners & investments. • Led various partnerships including the launch of our US sell presence and the broadening of our institutional banking relationships.
Blockchain.com Ventures is a venture fund anchored and supported by Blockchain.com & Lightspeed Venture Partners
MBA
2015 - 2017
Self-directed Independent Project with Professor Macomber on Level 4 autonomous vehicle deployment, as well as research on the blockchain & digital asset space.
Business Strategy & Operations Intern
2016 - 2016
Quartet is a digital behavioral health platform focused on delivering collaborative care for comorbidity patients, with $90m+ in funding with lead investors like GV.
Strategy & Operations Intern
2015 - 2015
Segovia was spun out of Give Directly to build a software platform to transfer money and aid to underserved African markets.
Segovia is a financial technology company making it easy for organizations to pay anyone, anytime, anywhere in the emerging markets.
Raised $14,537,114.00 from Global Innovation Fund and Musha Ventures.
Credit Trader
2011 - 2015
Managed a shorter-duration investment grade trading portfolio. Over 4 years, trades across TMT (Telecom, Media, and Tech) and industrial corporates (healthcare, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, retail, food, chemicals and autos). Previously managed a front-end fixed and floating rate financials portfolio. • Extensive investment-grade bond risk management and CDS analytics experience. • Increased market share & profitability via relative value analysis and client focused strategies. • Modeled valuation and recovery for high-yield/distressed corporates. • Served on exec committee for Junior Women in Markets group to run mentorship programs, diversity recruiting, and industry events.
J.P. Morgan Ventures Energy Corporation provides commodity risk management solutions in both the physical .
Sales and Trading Summer Analyst
2010 - 2010
Equity Exotic Derivatives Trader
J.P. Morgan Ventures Energy Corporation provides commodity risk management solutions in both the physical .