Interstate Fusion Ventures (IFV), the first VC firm with the unique vision to link bi-coastal venture communities to Northeast, Ohio (NEO) is proud to announce it has expanded its Advisory Committee team to include three new members, Tom Lenehan, Nathaniel Krasnoff, and Farooq Abbasi.
Tom Lenehan is the Chief Investment Officer of The Wallace Foundation in New York City. He is an experienced investor with a history of managing institutional pools of capital at Wallace and previously at The Rockefeller University. In addition, he made direct investments into companies through his prior tenure at Vista Equity Partners in San Francisco and Stone Point Capital in Greenwich, CT. Tom was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, and has a passion for Northeast Ohio. “IFV is bringing together capital from the East and West coasts, alongside its own capital from America’s north coast, to fund next-generation entrepreneurs in my home state. I am delighted and privileged to be involved with Bill and his team, who are at the crossroads of Ohio innovation,” said Tom.
Nathaniel Krasnoff is located in Los Angeles and a recovering engineer turned venture capitalist. To date, he has spent most of his professional career developing technology in the spaces of augmented reality (AR) and transportation. In addition, he is a proud member of The World Economic Forum Global Shaper Initiative. “Unlike many Corporate Venture Funds that don’t have the risk tolerance to get deals done in today’s environment, IFV has an innate ability to understand what innovation looks like and the relationships to make connections and build business opportunities for their founders,” said Nathaniel.
Farooq Abbasi is the Founder and General Partner of Preface Ventures based in NYC. Preface invests in repeat founders who want to do things differently for the second (or third, or fourth) time around. These long-term thinkers push the boundaries of technology across critical areas in developer tooling/privacy, healthcare access/data interoperability, and financial inclusion. “I’m thrilled to partner with fellow Midwesterner Bill Manby and IFV, helping unlock the exceptional local entrepreneurial talent that will shape the future. Through the success of their partners across industry, IFV places itself in a favorable position to accelerate innovation within Ohio and beyond. I am very much looking forward to what is to come,” said Farooq.
“We are excited to welcome Tom, Nathaniel and Farooq to our team, as they will help strengthen our ability to link bi-coastal communities to our home in Northeast Ohio,” said Bill Manby Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Interstate Fusion Ventures. “With their connections, we will continue to leverage the NEO model and target companies able to grow toward larger valuations, raise significant follow-on funding and create exit opportunities at significant multiples for our investors.”
IFV is actively raising capital for Fund II, seizing the opportunities presented by the current environment. While many in the venture capital world have scaled back, we have chosen to double down on our efforts. This allows us to fully dedicate our resources and expertise to bring substantial value to our startups, driving their growth and success in today’s dynamic market.
About Interstate Fusion Ventures
Interstate Fusion Ventures (IFV) is based in Northeast Ohio (NEO). Their vision to not only draw coastal investment to NEO, but ALSO to invest in coastal startups that benefit from what NEO offers is groundbreaking. It has led to the creation of strong venture and advisory partners who help support the model, add resources, and drive deal flow. All of these create a strategic advantage for its portfolio companies and offer unique investment opportunities for its investment partners.
IFV believes that by supporting innovative startups, they can drive economic growth and contribute to the creation of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. For more information, please visit Interstate Fusion Ventures.
