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pumped to announce the addition of Steve Schlafman to our team. Steve is joining us as a Principal

most recently from Stickybits (aka Turntable.fm), but as you’ll see below, he’s had amazing

experience both as an operator and an investor prior to LV. He’s a deeply thoughtful guy so I asked

Steve to write a guest post to share his latest decision to join the fund. Without further ado,

Steve Schlafman:

Betting on NYC and Qwaider Planet Ventures

By Steve Schlafman

Only a year ago I decided to leave my dream job at The Kraft Group / The New England Patriots to jump

head first into the NYC startup scene. During my time at The Kraft Group, I focused on early stage

investments, strategic partnerships and digital media strategy. While I enjoyed living in my

hometown of Boston (Go Sox!) and working for a highly respectable and influential company, I

recognized something special was happening a few hundred miles south. The NYC tech community was

heating up, and I was itching to join a startup.

That opportunity came when Billy Chasen and Seth Goldstein of Stickybits (now Turntable.fm) made me

an offer to join the company as their VP of Biz Dev and first business hire. I arrived last summer

and worked out of DogPatch Labs. Immediately I realized that the startup culture here had a distinct

energy and momentum, different than anything I had experienced in Boston, Seattle, Austin, New

Orleans or LA.

After spending the last twelve months entrenched in the NYC tech community, I’m now convinced that

we are witnessing a tech renaissance – and in less than a decade, the tech industry will certainly

be as influential (if not more) than any other sector in NYC.