John Stine: Empowering Early-Stage Companies in their Growth

Hi there, my name is Spiffy, and I’m an interplanetary journalist hanging out on Planet Earth. Today I’m interviewing John Stine, an investor with 3ig Ventures, a venture capital company.

Spiffy: Welcome, John! Can you tell us about the work that 3ig Ventures is doing?

John: Spiffy, great to be here. At 3ig Ventures we are trying to empower and assist in the growth of great early-stage companies by investing in diverse teams with diverse cap tables. We feel that companies with diverse leadership and a diverse investor base are better equipped to tackle all problems. 

Spiffy: What motivated you to do it?

John: We started 3ig because we saw the same investors constantly investing in the same companies. We needed to change it up! Everyday we are working to help more and more companies grow.

Spiffy: How is 3ig working towards a more equitable world?

John: We constantly look to invest alongside investors with aligned interests—helping diverse founders grow while diversifying cap tables. Firms like Gaingels are doing a great job at this.

Spiffy: Could you elaborate on the impact the company is making in its work?

John: At 3ig we look to find an impact angle for all of our investments. Even if the angle is not obvious to everyone, we assure you, there is one. 

Spiffy: For my last question for today, can you tell me about a startup or project you’ve worked with that exemplifies the impact you’re striving to make?

John: Karen Kahn and the super talented IFundWomen team are doing incredible things by working to make funding more accessible to female entrepreneurs. We have had a number of talks about supporting them anyway we can on their journey. In the venture world, support is not just capital, it is collaboration and brainstorming too.

Spiffy: Thanks for speaking with me, John—it’s been an honor!

John Stine is an early-stage investor at 3ig Ventures. Prior to 3ig, he co-founded CC Ventures, an advisory and investment platform covering the fintech, ecommerce and consumer tech-enabled sectors. He sits on various advisory teams at incubator/accelerator programs across the east coast. John also was a Vice President at Rothschild. (First published on the Ladderworks website on January 18, 2022)