Ignite VC: Samara Hernandez on Building a $60M Fund from Scratch and Leading with Conviction | Ep175

Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society

Content provided by Brian Bell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Brian Bell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

10d ago 55:51

MP3•Episode home

Samara Hernandez is the founding partner of Chingona Ventures, a trailblazing venture capital firm dedicated to backing overlooked and underestimated founders. With experience at Goldman Sachs, Math Venture Partners, and a mission deeply rooted in her heritage, Samara brings a fresh and authentic perspective to VC. She's helped grow Chingona Ventures into a $60M firm by rethinking who gets funded—and why.

With a thesis focused on early-stage companies, unconventional founder backgrounds, and unsexy but vital industries, Samara offers sharp insights into how value is created at the earliest stages of innovation. In this episode, she discusses the power of leading with authenticity, the evolution of her investment thesis, how ownership and fund structure shape strategy, and why staying in the game is essential for long-term success in venture.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:

00:01 – The Meaning Behind “Chingona”

03:12 – Leading with Authenticity in Venture

05:10 – From Goldman Sachs to Venture Capital

07:32 – The Entrepreneurial Thread

08:26 – Crafting a Unique Investment Thesis

09:08 – Finding Her First LP and Launching Fund I

11:08 – Chingona’s Role as a Lead Investor

12:55 – Rethinking “Overlooked” Founders

14:50 – Founder-Market Fit and Lived Experience

17:13 – The Five P’s Framework

21:05 – Applying the Five P’s to Real Deals

24:56 – Navigating Niche Markets and Scale

26:15 – Betting on AgTech, NIL, and Pivots

29:20 – Lessons from Fund I to Fund II

31:35 – The Importance of Ownership and Access

34:12 – Evolving into a Lead Investor Role

37:53 – Fund Math and Ownership Strategy

41:05 – Managing Liquidity and Secondaries

44:03 – Understanding LP Behavior and Expectations

46:20 – Knowing When to Trim vs. Hold

49:27 – Aligning Liquidity Strategy with Founders

52:44 – The Reality of Fundraising and Staying in the Game

55:24 – Fundraising in a Post-2020 Landscape

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/ignite-podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ignite-conversations-on-startups-venture-capital-tech/id1709248824

Follow Samara Hernandez on X: https://x.com/ChingonaVC

Follow Samara Hernandez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samaramejia/

Follow Team Ignite on X: https://twitter.com/ignitevc

Follow Brian on X: https://x.com/brianrbell

Follow Brian on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bblinkedin/

Visit Our Website: https://www.teamignite.ventures

Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://insights.teamignite.ventures/

👂🎧 Watch, listen, and follow on your favorite platform: https://tr.ee/S2ayrbx_fL

🙏 Join the conversation on your favorite social network: https://linktr.ee/theignitepodcast

Our sponsor Byldd⁠ helps non-technical domain-expert founders build and launch tech businesses by providing a complete product team - that's everyone you need from designers to engineers to testers, all the way up to a CTO.

We'll ship products while you focus on the other essentials: validation, sales, and distribution. Our portfolio companies have been backed by YC, Google, ERA, and other top-tier investors.

Get Started Here: https://tr.ee/bylld

184 episodes

#Trading #Business #Brian Bell #Team Ignite Ventures #Trailblazing Founders #Thought Leaders #Startups Mechanics #Venture Capital Dynamics #Technology Promise #Societal Implications #Responsible Innovation #Candid Conversations #Ignite #Visionary Investor