Kiva Dickinson from Selva Ventures

Kiva Dickinson is the Founder & Managing Partner of Selva Ventures.

Selva Ventures invests in healthier living. They support Seed & Series A stage consumer health & wellness brands that make healthier living more engaging, accessible, habit-forming and fun.

Takeaways

• His background in investment banking at Barclays, private equity at TPG and investing at CircleUp.
• Why he wanted to start his own firm in the CPG space.
• Debunking the myth that CPG doesn't work for VCs.
• Why investing in CPG requires a better batting average compared to technology investments.
• Why Kiva looks for products with strong gross margins and repeat purchase metrics.
• What is the sweet spot and inflection point for Selva to invest.
• Spaces in CPG that Selva and Kiva are excited about.
• Kiva's thoughts on celebrity brands.
• Hiring investors in the CPG space.
• "DTC is a channel, not a business" and how to run a strong retail strategy.
• Why LA is one of the best geographies for CPG businesses and investors.

Chapters

00:00 Kiva Dickinson's Background and Journey

06:23 Starting Selva Ventures

08:24 Investment Strategy: Focus on Consumer Products

10:58 Investing at the Inflection Point

16:52 The Role of Retail Strategy in CPG

20:46 The Misconception that CPG Doesn't Work for Venture Capital

25:36 Exciting Spaces in Consumer Products

29:47 The Outlier Effect of Los Angeles in CPG

32:30 Hiring Investors in the Consumer Industry

35:06 The Impact of Celebrity Brands in the Consumer Space

41:19 Dealing with Hard Times and Finding Balance

Keywords

Kiva Dickinson, investment banking, consumer venture capital, Selva Ventures, private equity, consumer products, investment strategy, gross margin, repeat purchase, celebrity brands, geography