Our Founders Are On a Mission, and So Are We.

Wes is Founding Partner of Better Ventures, where he focuses on investments in food, agriculture, biomanufacturing, and materials science. He’s passionate about improving the health and sustainability of our broken food system so people can live longer, healthier lives and enjoy foods that don’t put our planet at risk. The investments he’s led, from Meati and Debut to Zya Enzymes and One.bio, are leveraging advancements in science and technology to improve human and planetary health. Wes has over 25 years of venture capital and investment experienced with Better Ventures, Good Capital, William Blair, and Ernst & Young. He earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business and a BBA from the University of Michigan.

Wes is an avid cyclist and enjoys big climbs, from Mount Diablo to Mont Ventoux. He lives in Oakland with his wife and three kids and does his best to feed them a well balanced diet full of protein and fiber (spinach in smoothies is the key). Wes and his family are actively involved at Christ Church East Bay, and they support a number of non-profit service organizations including Harbor House Ministries, Oakland Leadership Center, and Foundation for His Ministry.

As a Founding Partner of Better Ventures, Rick focuses on investments in software and data science to improve human health and decarbonize the economy. His health related investments, including Eko Health, RxDiet, and Prairie Health, leverage technology for the personalization of care, while his climate focused investments in Synop, Specifx, Rock Rabbit, and Critical Loop utilize software and AI to scale multi-trillion dollar electrification markets.

Rick has over two decades of technology, entrepreneurship, and operating experience. He was co-founder of e-commerce pioneer The Modem Shop and -WineShopper.com, which was backed by Kleiner Perkins and acquired by Wine.com. His operating experience includes corporate development roles at Oracle and Sun Microsystems, where he led venture investments and acquisitions in software. He holds a BA from Trinity College and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. A Michigan native and long-time enthusiastic Oakland resident, Rick loves bicycle touring and skiing. He speaks “dog” fluently and loves being in the water - swimming, scuba, surfing and sailing, especially when followed by a cold craft IPA (for human health reasons).

Lyndsey is a Partner at Better Ventures, where she focuses on investments that are reshaping how we produce, consume, learn, and work. The investments she's led, from Ren Energy, Refiberd, and Beni to Adept ID and Skillfully, are helping build a more sustainable consumer economy and creating pathways for workers to thrive in evolving industries. Lyndsey has over 20 years of experience in finance and venture capital, and has always been driven by opportunities at the intersection of capital and impact. In addition to her role at Better Ventures, she is an active volunteer lead at All Raise, dedicated to increasing diversity in venture capital, and a Board Member for RepresentEd, helping underrepresented students get jobs in tech.
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Originally from North Carolina and having spent over a decade in Europe and Asia, she moved to the Bay Area for grad school at Stanford, and San Francisco has been home ever since. When she’s not at work you’ll likely find her somewhere exploring the outdoors (hiking or trying to learn mountain biking), tracking down live music and photography, or walking Bernal Heights with her husband and (very large) adopted Great Pyrenees.

Katie is Head of Platform at Better Ventures, where she supports portfolio founders with fundraising, talent and hiring, and other critical startup operations. She also leads the firm’s marketing and PR efforts, helping to amplify the impact of mission-driven founders. Katie is passionate about empowering underestimated founders and building equitable systems within venture capital and beyond. Her previous roles at Backstage Capital and All Raise focused on accelerating the success of diverse and underrepresented founders and funders, while her work at Phenomenal spotlighted key social justice issues like the gender pay gap. Earlier in her career, she built thriving communities at tech companies like Square.
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Katie earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a master’s from SOAS, University of London, where her dissertation explored the dynamics of hostage negotiation. She lives in San Francisco, where she spends her free time throwing pottery, experimenting in the kitchen, or planning her next travel adventure. She’s a Bay Area native.