Dominique Yadegar
“I'm not just investing in companies, but the founders and visions behind them. I find the relationships built are the most rewarding part of this job - and hopefully a successful outcome is the byproduct.”
The Courage to Act, Tuesdays with Morrie
Billions, Suits, Succession (though I generally lose interest in any show after a few seasons)
Dark Waters, Dopesick, Oceans Eleven
I prefer collaborative partnerships that feel human, rather than formal and transactional. I am energized by passionate founders that don't think hard work and enjoyment are two things mutually exclusive of each other.
I got in the local newspaper for winning a ballroom dancing competition when I was six years old - a fact that still manages to elicit equal parts laughter and disbelief from everyone who knows me and my current lack of coordination.
I started my career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in New York, advising a range of industrial companies on various M&A transactions and financings, in addition to working on the firm's first SPAC in history (NYSE: VRT). I built a valuable work ethic through that experience that has since served me well.
Industry Ventures marked my transition into venture (and my return to California). There, I saw the venture landscape from quite a unique vantage point - with a pulse on the market across different stages (early to mid-stage), sectors (generalists within software), and strategies (direct and SPV investments, primary commitments, and secondaries). Investing at scale in this role, I developed a valuable sense for the most critical hurdles founders face at the early stages and beyond, across teams of diverse backgrounds, industries, and sizes. At Bonfire, I get to focus on the inherently relationship-oriented aspect of seed-stage venture that I enjoy the most, while bringing my comprehensive experience in venture, finance, and analytical expertise to support our founders.
A bay area native, I now live in LA where I continue to be inspired by the collaborative nature of the venture and startup ecosystem here. I spend much of my free time at Pilates, trying (and most likely botching) new recipes, and at the beach.
