Rick Desai

Rick Desai Email and Phone Number

Managing Partner, Listen Ventures @ Listen Ventures
Rick Desai's Location
Greater Chicago Area, United States, United States
About Rick Desai

Investing and building brands at Listen. Founded Dashfire to build startups. Teach at Kellogg to help entrepreneurs mitigate risk, not seek it. Became inspired after learning from micro-entrepreneurs in India. Grew up outside of Detroit, at Georgetown, and in banking and private equity. My investor mantra is simple. Founders are the drivers of innovation. They take the most risk. They create the most impact. The best investor knows that they are a small part of a founders story. Accordingly, they should go out of their way to support their founders, regardless of how unscalable or unsustainable.

Rick Desai's Current Company Details
Listen Ventures

Listen Ventures

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Managing Partner, Listen Ventures
Rick Desai Work Experience Details
  • Listen Ventures
    Managing Partner
    Listen Ventures Jan 2016 - Present
    Chicago, Illinois, Us
    Listen is a consumer venture capital fund that backs and builds the brand of tomorrow. We invest Capital + Brand expertise into early stage ventures. Board Member at Own Up, Catch Co, Slumberkins, Public Goods and previously Factor_. Board Observer at Miss Grass and previously at Interior Define and Factor_. Listen Investments include: Factor_, Own Up, Calm, Catch Co, Public Good, The Fresh Factory, Stolen, Calm, Angels Envy, Slumberkins, Miss Grass, and more at www.listen.co
  • Northwestern University - Kellogg School Of Management
    Adjunct Professor
    Northwestern University - Kellogg School Of Management Jan 2017 - Present
    Teach New Venture Development. We believe that the best entrepreneurs don't seek risk, they seek to mitigate risk. Act as Kellogg's startup studio. Startups launch real world tests to form product market fit and gain conviction whether to proceed with their venture.
  • Dashfire
    Managing Partner, Co-Founder
    Dashfire Jul 2009 - Present
    Chicago, Illinois, Us
    Dashfire invests in early stage entrepreneurs and provides near-term technical extension and long-term strategic guidance. We partner with founders who are operators not ideators. They know their customers intimately and are solving their problems through business model innovation. We enable them to move faster.In aggregate, our portfolio has raised more than $75 million and generated over 350 new jobs. Investments include: EverTrue, BucketFeet, Bloomboard, Artifact Uprising (acquired), Blitsy, Luxury Garage Sale, Factor 75, Packback Books. Dashfire is built on FarShore, a 150+ person global software development platform.
  • Saath
    William J. Clinton Fellow
    Saath Sep 2008 - Jun 2009
    SAATH is a non-governmental organization registered as a public charitable trust in Gujarat, India. SAATH’s one-stop, market-based, integrated services reach over 100,000 slum dwellers in Ahmedabad, and many more in Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India. SAATH's programs include social enterprises, livelihoods, microfinance, infrastructure development, health, and education.The William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India is a selective program that builds bridges between America and India by sending talented and skilled young Americans to work with leading non-governmental organizations in India for a period of ten months.
  • Madison Dearborn Partners
    Private Equity Associate
    Madison Dearborn Partners Jul 2006 - Jul 2008
    Chicago, Illinois, Us
    MDP's objective is to invest in companies in partnership with outstanding management teams to achieve significant long-term appreciation in equity value. MDP generally seeks to invest $100 million to $600 million of equity capital in a single transaction.
  • Lehman Brothers
    Investment Banking / Leveraged Finance Analyst
    Lehman Brothers Jun 2004 - Jun 2006
    Us

Rick Desai Skills

Private Equity Financial Modeling Investment Banking Venture Capital

Rick Desai Education Details

  • Georgetown University
    Georgetown University
    Psychology
  • Detroit Country Day
    Detroit Country Day

Frequently Asked Questions about Rick Desai

What company does Rick Desai work for?

Rick Desai works for Listen Ventures

What is Rick Desai's role at the current company?

Rick Desai's current role is Managing Partner, Listen Ventures.

What is Rick Desai's email address?

Rick Desai's email address is ri****@****man.com

What is Rick Desai's direct phone number?

Rick Desai's direct phone number is +131262*****

What schools did Rick Desai attend?

Rick Desai attended Georgetown University, Detroit Country Day.

What skills is Rick Desai known for?

Rick Desai has skills like Private Equity, Financial Modeling, Investment Banking, Venture Capital.

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