Key Takeaways
- • Erin Harkless Moore, managing director of investments at Pivotal Ventures since August 2020, describes her daily routine and leadership lessons learned from Melinda French Gates in a first-person Business Insider essay.
- • Moore previously spent more than a decade in finance and investing at Cambridge Associates, Goldman Sachs, and Summit Rock Advisors before joining Pivotal Ventures.
- • Pivotal Ventures, founded by Melinda French Gates in 2015, works to advance social progress and expand women's power and influence in the U.S. and abroad, with a focus on directing capital to women and those who need it most.
- • Moore credits Gates with trusting her team once strategy is set, and with prioritizing relationships, including time spent meeting fund managers at the Upfront Summit.
Summary
Business Insider published a first-person piece by Erin Harkless Moore, managing director of investments at Pivotal Ventures, titled "I work for Melinda French Gates at Pivotal Ventures. Here's a day in my life and the greatest lessons she's taught me." The full article could not be retrieved, so this summary draws on the available excerpts and search snippets.
Moore joined Pivotal Ventures as managing director of investments in August 2020, after more than a decade in finance and investing at Cambridge Associates, Goldman Sachs, and Summit Rock Advisors. According to the piece, her work centers on directing more resources and capital to those who need it most, especially women. Pivotal Ventures was founded by Gates in 2015 to advance social progress and expand women's power and influence in the U.S. and around the world.
The essay describes a routine that begins before 6 a.m. with goal-setting and news review, followed by office meetings that cover deal pipelines, tracked companies, fund managers in the market, and portfolio construction. Moore also says she meets founders and fund managers and exchanges market intelligence with peers.
On leadership, Moore says Gates sets the strategic framework for Pivotal, stays closely engaged through monthly and quarterly updates, and then gives her team latitude to execute. Moore cites Gates's time at the Upfront Summit, where Gates spoke and then met with Pivotal partners to get to know the fund managers deploying its capital, as an example of the relationship-focused approach she has adopted.
Moore joined Pivotal Ventures as managing director of investments in August 2020, after more than a decade in finance and investing at Cambridge Associates, Goldman Sachs, and Summit Rock Advisors. According to the piece, her work centers on directing more resources and capital to those who need it most, especially women. Pivotal Ventures was founded by Gates in 2015 to advance social progress and expand women's power and influence in the U.S. and around the world.
The essay describes a routine that begins before 6 a.m. with goal-setting and news review, followed by office meetings that cover deal pipelines, tracked companies, fund managers in the market, and portfolio construction. Moore also says she meets founders and fund managers and exchanges market intelligence with peers.
On leadership, Moore says Gates sets the strategic framework for Pivotal, stays closely engaged through monthly and quarterly updates, and then gives her team latitude to execute. Moore cites Gates's time at the Upfront Summit, where Gates spoke and then met with Pivotal partners to get to know the fund managers deploying its capital, as an example of the relationship-focused approach she has adopted.
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