Top 50 Rising Stars 2021 continued (in alphabetical order by CVC unit): Will Geiger and Brett Kadesh, principals, Touchdown Ventures
Will Geiger is a Los Angeles-based principal at Touchdown Ventures, a venture capital firm which manages corporate venturing programmes for multiple corporations, and focuses on investments in media and entertainment, retail, real estate, sustainability and industrial technology.
Scott Lenet, president of Touchdown Ventures, commented: “With approximately a decade of venture capital experience, Will is one of Touchdown’s highest performing team members and he leads our Avery Dennison Ventures relationship.
“Will was also instrumental in forging the relationship with Avery Dennison, and he has been a valuable team member on four other strategic investing programmes. Will has demonstrated consistent leadership in firm development, including recruiting, training, managing multiple junior team members and developing key infrastructure to scale capabilities for helping Touchdown’s corporate partners and portfolio companies.
“Will has amassed a successful investment track record as a corporate VC, institutional investor and angel investor, and he serves on the investment committee for the Gideon Hixon Fund, the venture capital arm of the Hixon family office.”
Brett Kadesh is a San Francisco-based principal at the firm, regarding whom Rich Grant, managing director of Touchdown Ventures, said: “During his tenure with us, Brett has helped launch and manage our fund with Kellogg’s Eighteen94 Capital, and has been an integral team member on several other funds.
“In addition, Brett has supported firm development in a number of areas ranging from recruiting and training to CRM and back-office and has helped raise the profile of Touchdown via several speaking engagements and his work as a founding board member of Naturally Bay Area.
“Brett is extremely hard-working and passionate about venture capital. And he does an amazing job of forging relationships with and supporting the entrepreneurs we back as investors. Brett joined the firm as an Associate primarily in a support role but has been promoted twice at Touchdown, most recently to principal.”
