Jodi Krakower Kessler from 3L Capital

Jodi Krakower Kessler is a Partner at 3L Capital.

3L is a private equity firm that invests in emerging growth companies.

The firm backs innovative founders and management teams across the Commerce, Enterprise Software and Tech-enabled Services landscapes, with a particular emphasis on opportunities where M&A and creative financing strategies can augment strong organic growth.

3L provides management teams with the capital, perspective, and relationships needed to become category leaders. The firm is based in Los Angeles and New York City.

Takeaways

• Lessons from competitive hockey.
• Investment banking prepping your for investing.
• The importance of operating experience.
• 3L Capital combines the analytical rigour of private equity with the opportunism of venture capital.
• The balance between growth and profitability.
• Peer learning among portfolio companies.
• Tech-enabled vertical roll-ups.
• Successful M&A at the growth stage requires strong strategic rationale, financial synergies, and the right partners.
• The focus on NYC and LA and not SF.
• Their most recent investment Metropolis which raised $1.7B.

Chapters

00:00 Competitive Hockey and Investing Lessons

03:46 Strategic Thinking and Listening to Operators

05:09 3L Capital: Combining Private Equity Rigor with Venture Capital Opportunism

07:28 Finding the Balance: Growth vs. Profitability

12:08 The Power of Peer Learning Among Portfolio Companies

22:18 Successful M&A at the Growth Stage: Strategic Rationale and Financial Synergies

24:53 New York and LA: Venture Markets Outside of Silicon Valley

Keywords

competitive hockey, investing lessons, investment banking, operating experience, strategic thinking, listening to operators, growth versus profitability, peer learning, Canadian tech scene, Metropolis