The rest of the 50 (in alphabetical order): Selina Troesch Munster, senior associate, Touchdown Ventures
Selina Troesch Munster is a senior associate at Touchdown Ventures, a venture capital firm that manages funds on behalf of corporates, where she joined in October 2014.
She said: “In the first three years with the firm, I focused on marketing and media technologies in our work on [digital agency] Edelman and [entertainment group] 20th Century Fox’s funds.
“In the past two years, I have worked on a fund for a paediatric health system, looking at technologies that improve the cancer patient experience, helping in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries, and addressing mental health concerns.
“In addition to sourcing, evaluating and executing transactions, I have been heavily involved in identifying and pitching new corporate partners and other marketing efforts at the firm.”
Touchdown is working to professionalise CVC units and help its clients create schemes that have longevity and positive impact on the community, said Troesch Munster, adding: “Through our evaluation, we can guide our clients in setting those metrics.”
Corporate venturing funds have the opportunity to differentiate themselves from institutional investors according to Troesch Munster, who said: “Not only can corporations provide capital, but they can also leverage their supply chains, customer relationships and R&D capabilities to help their portfolio companies grow and succeed.
“In an environment where there is more capital available for VC investment than ever before, any advantage that can help an investor win deals is important.”
Scott Lenet, president of Touchdown Ventures, said in his nomination of Troesch Munster: “Selina started as an intern at Touchdown, and joined us full-time after graduating first in her class from the USC Marshall School of Business MBA program.
“Selina has participated in the launch and management of multiple CVC programs, including 20th Century Fox, which she and I ran together. She also co-created our benchmarking product and runs Touchdown’s research efforts.”
Prior to her MBA, Troesch Munster had worked at financial services Barclays, valuing structured-debt products such as mortgage-backed securities. She went back to school to transition into a role that would allow her to work directly with the entrepreneurs and professionals that are creating impactful change.
