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Gen Z: Opportunities for Innovation

by Ann Bordetsky, Danielle Lay and Hunter WorlandMar 20, 2023

Series Introduction

Gen Z – born into the era of the mobile internet, social networks, and digitally native commerce – is coming of age in an increasingly complex world and challenging convention with fresh perspectives and new emerging norms.

As investors, we watch for intersections where cultural shifts meet technology, moments when trends and societal evolutions collide to create opportunities. As Gen Z becomes the driving force in pop culture, at work and in commerce, we wanted to explore the unique perspective and needs of Gen Z users and share what we find distinctive about this generation of digital natives.

In this Gen Z series, we throw out the typical VC market map and instead dive into an exploration of fundamental domains of Gen Z consumer life: commerce, financial health, careers, social life, etc. We'll be sharing our takes through this series, and we are excited to spark conversation with builders focused on Gen Z.

If you're a founder or team building for the Gen Z future, we welcome your perspectives, and we'd love to hear from you!

Please reach us at: abordetsky@nea.com, dlay@nea.com, hworland@nea.com

In this series:

    Topics
    Trends

    The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be investment advice, or recommendation, or as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any fund or investment vehicle managed by NEA or any other NEA entity. New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). However, nothing in this post should be interpreted to suggest that the SEC has endorsed or approved the contents of this post. NEA has no obligation to update, modify, or amend the contents of this post nor to notify readers in the event that any information, opinion, forecast or estimate changes or subsequently becomes inaccurate or outdated. In addition, certain information contained herein has been obtained from third-party sources and has not been independently verified by NEA. The companies featured in this post are for illustrative purposes only, have been selected in order to provide an example of the types of investments made by NEA that fit the theme of this post and are not representative of all NEA portfolio companies. The company founders or executives or any other individuals featured or quoted in this post are not compensated, directly or indirectly, by NEA but may be founders or executives of portfolio companies NEA has invested in through funds managed by NEA and its affiliates. Any statements made by founders, investors, portfolio companies, or others in the post or on other third-party websites referencing this post are their own, and are not intended to be an endorsement of the investment advisory services offered by NEA.

    NEA makes no assurance that investment results obtained historically can be obtained in the future, or that any investments managed by NEA will be profitable. To the extent the content in this post discusses hypotheticals, projections, or forecasts to illustrate a view, such views may not have been verified or adopted by NEA, nor has NEA tested the validity of the assumptions that underlie such opinions. Readers of the information contained herein should consult their own legal, tax, and financial advisers because the contents are not intended by NEA to be used as part of the investment decision making process related to any investment managed by NEA.

    About the Authors

    Ann Bordetsky

    Ann is a Partner at NEA, where she focuses on early-stage investing in consumer technology and AI application software and marketplaces. Prior to NEA, Ann was Chief Operating Officer of Rival (acquired by Live Nation) and held business leadership roles at Uber and Twitter during their growth phase. As an operator, she has seen Silicon Valley startups through each phase of the company-building lifecycle, from first launch to IPO. Ann holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS from UC Berkeley.
    Ann is a Partner at NEA, where she focuses on early-stage investing in consumer technology and AI application software and marketplaces. Prior to NEA, Ann was Chief Operating Officer of Rival (acquired by Live Nation) and held business leadership roles at Uber and Twitter during their growth phase. As an operator, she has seen Silicon Valley startups through each phase of the company-building lifecycle, from first launch to IPO. Ann holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS from UC Berkeley.

    Danielle Lay

    Danielle joined NEA in 2017. As a Partner based in New York, she is focused on consumer technology and AI application companies. Her investments include Beehiiv, Patreon, Goody, Fizz, among others. Prior to joining NEA, she was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs covering fintech. She graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in economics, business institutions, and Chinese.
    Danielle joined NEA in 2017. As a Partner based in New York, she is focused on consumer technology and AI application companies. Her investments include Beehiiv, Patreon, Goody, Fizz, among others. Prior to joining NEA, she was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs covering fintech. She graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in economics, business institutions, and Chinese.

    Hunter Worland

    Hunter's investment focus is applications and infrastructure for the digital economy particularly in fintech, commerce, and consumer. He works closely with companies like Slash, Kindred, and LXA. Prior to joining NEA in 2021, Hunter was an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company in New York, where he worked with media and financial services clients. Hunter graduated from Harvard University with a degree in history and government, as well as a certificate in Latin American studies and a Hoopes Prize. He still enjoys historical archival research.
    Hunter's investment focus is applications and infrastructure for the digital economy particularly in fintech, commerce, and consumer. He works closely with companies like Slash, Kindred, and LXA. Prior to joining NEA in 2021, Hunter was an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company in New York, where he worked with media and financial services clients. Hunter graduated from Harvard University with a degree in history and government, as well as a certificate in Latin American studies and a Hoopes Prize. He still enjoys historical archival research.

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