How to Work With Your VC's Marketing Partner with Laura Spaventa Lewis

The relationship between startups and their venture capital partners can provide immense value when approached the right way. Laura Spaventa Lewis, VP of Marketing at Eclipse, joins us on the podcast today as she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how early-stage companies can work with their VCs, particularly when it comes to marketing and PR strategies. She dives into how this collaborative relationship can supercharge funding announcements, foster ongoing media relationships, and so much more! This week, episode 58 of the FiredUp! podcast is about how to work with your VC’s marketing partner!

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In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Laura Spaventa Lewis shares her insights on how Eclipse supports their portfolio companies, trends in funding announcements, and actionable steps you can take right now to maximize your relationship with your VC partner. 

Laura Spaventa Lewis is the VP of Marketing at Eclipse, an early-stage VC company. In her role, she is responsible for the firm’s overall marketing strategy, working closely with portfolio companies to provide strategic and tactical marketing counsel. Prior to working at Eclipse, she built the brand from the ground up at Unusual Ventures and led the international PR team and strategy at AppDynamics, leading up to the eventual acquisition of the company by Cisco for $3.7B. Over her career, Laura has helped shape world-class brands through PR strategy, creative content, messaging, customer marketing, social media, and digital marketing.

Morgan and Laura discuss:

• While funding announcements are often the first trigger for support, your VC can help with fostering media relations, messaging and positioning, and more!
• Trends in funding announcements show us that planning and preparation are important, as well as pitching the announcement as part of a larger story.
• Startups should seek ways to reciprocate value to their VC for a mutually beneficial relationship. 
• Building a marketing team requires strategic hiring, starting with a generalist and getting more granular over time.
• How Eclipse has methodically built out its marketing infrastructure and brand over the past few years with Laura’s help. 

CONNECT WITH LAURA SPAVENTA LEWIS:

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Email: laura@eclipse.vc

Eclipse VC

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Chapters

• 0:00 How to Work With Your VC's Marketing Partner with Laura Spaventa Lewis
• 3:20 Eclipse VC was founded to transform physical industries like supply chain, manufacturing, and logistics.
• 6:31 There is no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting portfolio companies; it depends on their needs and her bandwidth.
• 8:00 The role of VCs in fundraising announcements.
• 13:36 The media landscape is noisy, and startups need to think differently to stand out.
• 24:41 How startups can collaborate with their VC for mutual benefit of both companies.
• 28:25 Laura’s role in building the Eclipse brand.
• 34:52 The geopolitical landscape is also impacting the work of Eclipse and its portfolio companies.
• 38:01 Laura advises startups to give their VCs time and come prepared with a rough plan and ideas.
• 39:51 Fired Up Five Segment