A recap of our virtual townhall with Ludcaris, Senator Cory Booker, Mayor London Breed, Brian Westbrook, Dr. Regina Benjamin, and Devo Harris Earlier this summer after George Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests, I was inspired to see so many of my friends and colleagues — of all races — engaging in tough topics around race... Continue Reading →
Meet Forage: The Future of Job Search
Forage was my first announced investment at Lightspeed. Find the original post here on Medium (also re-posted below). The team's fundraising news was also announced in Techcrunch and The Sydney Morning Herald. --------------- Does everyone want to become an investment banker or consultant? My junior year of college, the answer felt like yes. At 19,... Continue Reading →
The Future is Happening Now: Accelerating into a New World of Edtech Part I
Early Childhood Education and K12 This was first posted on Medium. This is the first of two posts on the future of education after the onset of Covid-19 Image Source: WTTW News You’ve read the numbers — 90% of the world’s school population is learning from home. Edtech companies are seeing 3–10x the normal surges in usage. The coronovarius has... Continue Reading →
Investing in the Experience Economy
originally posted: https://medium.com/lightspeed-venture-partners/investing-in-the-experience-economy-a74197988b64 “Pics or it didn’t happen” is my generation’s version of “if a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” I have spent way too much time fretting over the caption that would just perfectly complement the memory I wanted to show off (if you’ve been there, you’ve been... Continue Reading →
The Future of Work(ers)
Originally posted in Dec 2019 My take on what the future might hold for workers In 2013, I worked with two students’ whose journeys have stuck with me ever since: Mariah* had worked in a call center until it downsized as chatbots emerged. She came to General Assembly seeking a career change as a result.... Continue Reading →
Investing and Empowering: What I’m Focusing on at Lightspeed.
Originally posted Nov 2019 I recently joined Lightspeed on the early-stage consumer investment team. It’s unlike any other team I’ve seen in venture. I’m the fifth woman to join our consumer team, which also includes two men. The last time I joined an investment team, nearly a decade ago, I mostly saw men when I looked around... Continue Reading →
Black Birthright: A Homecoming and Healing through Heritage
I recently wrote an opinion piece that was featured in the NY Times. If you're moved by this post please consider donating to an organization I've learned about called Birthright AFRICA: http://www.birthrightafrica.org/donate. If you want to get in touch about the idea, please message me on my contact page. Blessings and Sankofa, Mercedes https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/04/opinion/sunday/travel-blacks-africa.html
Getting up to Speed in VC and What I’ve Learned
If you are considering VC and have the opportunity to work at a fund, here is my TL;DR advice about how to design your first few months: 1) identify what parts of the role you want to test / explore and be very transparent / intentional about these areas 2) keep a journal of your... Continue Reading →
Where is VR/AR and Education Now?
Originally published on VRScout on July 25, 2017: https://vrscout.com/news/vr-ar-education-now/ In March 2014 Facebook bought Oculus and the current wave of interest in VR and AR was reborn. While the public largely scoffed at the awkward goggles, industry pundits proclaimed VR/AR would one day replace our 2D screens, and highlighted education as one of the top applications in... Continue Reading →
Top Companies and Players in the VR/AR Education Space
With VR/AR being such a nascent industry, it can be difficult to get a grasp of the landscape and who is doing what. I created a guide to some of the top companies and key players in the VR/AR space to help demystify the space. Enjoy!
