Better Ventures

It’s true - AI has entirely transformed the hiring space. ? Supercharged AI tech is here to stay—across all aspects of our lives. But...not all AI is created equal.? ? Here’s my key takeaway from this Fast Company article:?AI-powered resume filtering doesn't matter if resumes aren't representative of applicant employability.? ? Bad inputs = bad outputs - For resumes: When resumes are rewritten by AI tools, resume filters just reshuffle bad information.? - For interviews: Answers have been pre-populated based on applicant info, which could be wrong or misleading.? ? That’s why assessing applicant skills *through scenarios* is so well placed. They double click down to provide real insights into candidates. https://lnkd.in/geXrG8Cb ? This is what makes Skillfully tick. We've developed a new way to assess skills directly, not simply relying on outdated and corruptible "paper credentials" like resumes.? ? Our take:? Don't filter out the best candidate or rely on antiqued tools.? ? Dig deeper for the best talent.

We had a blast bringing together our members, friends and partners in the space for a reception at SOCAP Global! The Impact Capital Managers (ICM) community gathered at the Press Club in San Francisco for a night of connection, purpose-driven conversation and, most importantly, fun. ? A huge thank you to our co-hosts—Arctaris Impact Investors, Better Ventures, Citi Impact Fund, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management—for helping make this event so special. Together, we’re pushing the industry forward one conversation at a time. ? Thanks to everyone who joined us for such a memorable night. Looking forward to building on the energy and inspiration sparked at SOCAP this week at our Fall Convening! Emma Sissman Ryan Alam Katie Andresen Wes Selke Uche Osuji Tee T. Elizabeth Taylor Patrick Mullen Rick Moss Letitia Ferrier Webster Lyndsey Boucherle Nicole Lau John Goldstein

Our CEO, Fernando Rodriguez-Villa, was recently featured on Felix Mitchell’s Talent Bytes. In this snippet, he talks about how our talent matching AI is revolutionizing recruiting with its explainability and transparency. Our purpose-built AI offers recruiters: ?? Accurate Recommendations: Receive match scores, attribute scores, and shortlists of selected candidates so that recruiters can find the best-fit candidates faster.? ?? Explainability: Match Narratives that explain a shortlisted candidate’s fit for the role. Because AI shouldn’t be a black box! ? Efficiency: Recruiters are able to send the match narrative to hiring managers and decision-makers, making explaining and pitching the candidate(s) easier. Are you ready for the future of recruiting? We couldn’t be more excited ? #FutureOfRecruiting #ExplainableAI #MatchNarratives

?? How can we implement human-centered AI in today’s workforce???? I just had the pleasure of digging into this topic at the GenAI Summit with Margaret Vo from Anthropic – Skillfully’s newest partner on our mission to transform how companies hire and retain talent. It’s clear AI isn’t just reshaping how we work—it’s transforming how we think about work itself. The human element is an undeniably important element of employment . The central question isn’t: How will humans be removed from the process, or automated out of a job? Instead, it’s: How can AI *enrich* our human interactions? Hiring should be human-centric and employers shouldn’t have to choose between efficiency or human connection in the hiring process. In other news - we’ve been BUSY! Very excited for what’s ahead and what we’ll build with Anthropic–all our future products will be powered by the Claude family of advanced AI models and will let employers reclaim time otherwise spent in endless resume reviews and invest it in building relationships with the most qualified bottom-of-funnel talent. Keep your eyes peeled for some exciting product releases in the coming weeks!

Last week, Better Ventures, along with Impact Capital Managers, Arctaris Impact Investors, Citi Impact Fund, & Goldman Sachs Horizon Impact, hosted a dynamic happy hour during SOCAP Global! It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with a vibrant community of mission-driven founders, investors, and doers, all dedicated to building a more inclusive and sustainable future. The energy and insights shared over conversations were inspiring and reaffirmed the power of collaboration in driving positive impact. Huge thanks to everyone who joined us and made the evening memorable! Here’s to the connections forged and the ideas sparked at SOCAP—let’s keep working together to amplify our collective impact. #SOCAP #ImpactInvesting #BetterTogether

Sustainability leaders currently spend as much as 40% of their time on compliance and reporting. That’s a huge opportunity cost! Cold, the sustainability management platform leveraging AI to streamline compliance for organizations of all sizes, plans to solve that. Today, they announced a $2.65 million oversubscribed pre-seed round and we’re proud to back them.?The round was led by York IE. "In our conversations with companies and suppliers, we consistently heard about the mounting burden of compliance and reporting as they navigated new climate standards,” said Lyndsey Boucherle, Partner at Better Ventures. “What stood out to us about Cold was Eric's firsthand experience with this challenge from running his own brand, along with the team's laser focus on addressing this growing pain point.” Read the announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gbsNZAWU More on their mission here: https://lnkd.in/efDNjB3e #Sustainability #SupplyChain #ClimateAction #ImpactInvesting #VentureCapital #SustainableBusiness #TechForGood

Announcing Steve Madden x HILOS at TechCrunch Disrupt The American fashion icon is teaming up with HILOS for an on-demand future https://lnkd.in/gEgjh94H

Happening today at SOCAP Global - Don't miss this great panel on Food as Medicine. We've brought together Maddie Oatman, Christopher Rhodes, Wes Selke, & Tambra Raye Stevenson to share their thoughts on the future of food. Hope to see you there!

Today, we kicked off the 2024 IIFH Partner Summit with a reflection on 10 years of the Institute’s impact, transformational innovations in the food industry, and our continued commitment to #uncommoncollaborations. Together, we are making the food we love healthier for both people and the planet. Abigail Stevenson, Chief Science Officer of Mars and Justin Siegel, Faculty Director of IIFH, highlighted how the Institute’s founding stems from a longstanding, strategic collaboration between #UCDavis and Mars. Our shared mission continues to drive scientifically proven #foodandhealth innovations that benefit both human and planetary health. We are deeply grateful to all our incredible partners for their dedication and collaboration. Through these partnerships, we are collectively advancing our ability to create lasting, global impacts on human and environmental health. We’re proud to work alongside you all!

Each year, SOCAP Global convenes the impact community with a clear intention: to facilitate impact across silos, geographies, approaches, and philosophies and to accelerate the development of meaningful, critical relationships. Join us at #SOCAP24, October 28-30, in San Francisco, to participate in this movement. Wes Selke will present on The Future of Food: Food as Medicine and Addressing Food Accessibility alongside hundreds of other innovative leaders. You’ll also be able to meet, network, and collaborate with investors, entrepreneurs, social impact leaders, and more. Register with "s24_spk" to save $250 on your ticket! https://bit.ly/471XGQd