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Swimming with Allocators

Earnest Sweat, Alexa Binns
Venture Capital
Emerging Managers
Private Equity
Investment Strategies
Opportunity Funds
Angel Collective
Startup Ecosystem
Series A Funding
U.s.-China Geopolitics
Canadian Venture Capital
Early Stage Funds
Impact Investing
Asset Allocation
Diversity In Investing
Climate Justice
Megafunds
Family Offices
Private Markets
Secondary Market
Technology Companies

Swimming with Allocators dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. In each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts sheddin... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes93Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingEntrepreneurshipBusiness

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Artwork for Swimming with Allocators

Latest Episodes

This week on Swimming with Allocators, it’s time for another discuss, debate, and question (DDQ) episode as Earnest and Alexa riff on founders behaving badly and the cultural and governance failures enabling fraud-like behavior, then dive into how en... more

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This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Zach Ruchman, Shareholder & Managing Director, Private Investments at HB Wealth. Zach shares how his unconventional path through the Middle East, international development, consulting, ... more

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This week on Swimming with Allocators, Marcia Mitchell joins Earnest and Alexa to trace her path from FF Venture Capital to New York Ventures and now Mesa Lane Capital, a GP-seeding fund focused on emerging managers. She shares how her time in govern... more

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This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Iliana Oris Valiente, a F500 corporate executive, independent LP,   and founder of the Capital Decoded program, to explore the evolving landscape of venture capital. Iliana shares insig... more

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Recent Guests

Zach Ruchman
HB Wealth portfolio construction for high net worth families across private markets
HB Wealth
Episode: How to Separate Yourself When Everyone Has the Same Deck
Marcia Mitchell
Investor with Mesa Lane Capital; former FF Venture Capital and New York Ventures
Mesa Lane Capital
Episode: Built for Venture: Problem-Solving Meets People Work
Iliana Oris Valiente
Managing Director at Accenture; LP advocate; founder of Capital Decoded
Accenture
Episode: The New Rules of Venture: What Next-Gen LPs Should Know First
David Clark
CIO of Vencap International, with extensive experience in the venture capital field
Vencap International
Episode: Inside VenCap’s Data-Driven Playbook for Venture Returns
Laura Thompson
A well-regarded figure in venture capital from Sapphire Partners, known for her expertise in venture fund underwriting.
Sapphire Partners
Episode: SWA’s Best of 2025 (Part 2)
Megan Reynolds
Leader at a major private equity firm, focusing on capital formation and LP-GP relationships.
Episode: SWA’s Best of 2025 (Part 2)
Jason Howard
Founder of New Catalyst Strategic Partners, focusing on private equity and growth equity.
New Catalyst Strategic Partners
Episode: SWA’s Best of 2025 (Part 1)
Elizabeth Egan
Director at TIFF with nearly 15 years of investment experience both as an LP and GP.
TIFF
Episode: From Consumer Insights to AI Upside: How LPs Win in the Next Decade
Apurva Mehta
Co-founder and managing partner at Summit Peak Investments
Summit Peak Investments
Episode: Rethinking Fundraising: What LPs Really Value

Hosts

Alexa Binns
Host of Swimming with Allocators; co-host deeply engaged in venture capital discussions with a focus on LP perspectives and fund dynamics.
Earnest Sweat
Co-host and frequent co-host focusing on LP perspectives, fund dynamics, and practical VC insights.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 31 ratings
  • Top venture capital investing insight

    Swimming with Allocators takes a deep yet easy to understand and enjoyable approach to the twists and turns, guests and guesses, of venture capital investing🐊

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    rbtrage
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful LP-focused VC analysis with practical takeaways for investors.
High-quality guests and candid discussions on fund formation and LP-GP dynamics.
Strong emphasis on data-driven approaches and authentic storytelling in VC.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Built for Venture: Problem-Solving Meets People Work
Q: What governance or back-office innovations are happening with founders' employment agreements and board dynamics?
The guest outlines shifts toward more sophisticated governance provisions, milestone-based vesting, longer vesting horizons, and more precise severance and restrictive covenants, plus solutions to founder entrenchment that decouple board seats from employment status and improve transition readiness.
Built for Venture: Problem-Solving Meets People Work
Q: How is Mesa Lane differentiated from other fund-to-funds and what is their model with LPs and GPs?
Mitchell describes Mesa Lane as capital partners and co-builders who encourage LPs to invest directly or co-invest, do not charge carry at their level, and facilitate close relationships and thorough diligence through a platform that surfaces opportunities and fosters transparency among LPs and GPs.
Built for Venture: Problem-Solving Meets People Work
Q: There's a question right now of like, are we capped out on emerging managers and does it work in venture? Why emerging manager programs today in this market?
Mitchell explains that there is ongoing interest in emerging managers due to the maturation of the industry and a push from seed-focused funds, with a shift toward more non-traditional backgrounds; the approach now values adaptability, collaboration, and a merit-based evolution in the space, rather than assuming suboptimal outcomes, while emphasizing thoughtful allocation and alignment with LPs and the broader market.
Rethinking Fundraising: What LPs Really Value
Q: How do you win allocations in oversubscribed funds?
We leverage our network and encourage GPs to ask for feedback about us from those they've previously worked with.
Rethinking Fundraising: What LPs Really Value
Q: What was the impetus for creating Summit Peak?
We always wanted to do something entrepreneurial, and it made sense to build a fund of funds focused on venture capital.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Swimming with Allocators

What is Swimming with Allocators about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A data-angled look at venture capital from an LP perspective, with in-depth conversations about fund dynamics, underwriting challenges, and how data, networks, and authenticity shape investment decisions. Episodes frequently spotlight how LPs evaluate managers, how emerging funds gain traction, and how capital formation, due diligence, and portfolio construction are evolving in a landscape dominated by power-law outcomes and AI-driven insights. Noteworthy angles include data-driven investment playbooks, the human side of investing, and practical guidance for navigating VC ever-shifting incentives and structures, making it a strong fit for practitioners, founders seeking LPs, and sponsors looking for nuanced industry perspectives.

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Which podcasts are similar to Swimming with Allocators?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Swimming with Allocators:

1. How I Invest with David Weisburd
2. Uncapped with Jack Altman
3. Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry
4. Sourcery
5. TBPN

How many episodes of Swimming with Allocators are there?

Swimming with Allocators launched 2 years ago and published 93 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Swimming with Allocators?

Recent guests on Swimming with Allocators include:

1. Zach Ruchman
2. Marcia Mitchell
3. Iliana Oris Valiente
4. David Clark
5. Laura Thompson
6. Megan Reynolds
7. Jason Howard
8. Elizabeth Egan

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