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Kent Bennett, Bain alum and a partner at Bessemer Ventures, took his journey from being an associate consultant at the firm to a screenwriter in Hollywood before eventually diving into the world of startup investing. After selling a TV pilot and a movie script, he decided to go to Harvard Business School to help learn business in a creative context. While there, he was exposed to venture capital and startups, and with the help of a former Bainie and classmate, he was introduced to Bessemer Ventures and took on an investor role.
Specializing in investing in startups mainly in consumer products and services, consumer-facing vertical software, and B2B marketplace, Kent finds he still references the Bain toolkit in his current role. His communication skills, ability to structure problems and his thinking/analysis, as well as having the ability to work with high-performing teams, are all part of Bain's toolkit and have been invaluable to him in venture capital.
As part of our Whiteboard Innovators series that spotlights leaders with innovation at the forefront of their careers, hear why Kent refers to consultants as being like the coach of a team and venture capitalists as the people who bring the lockers. Additionally, he'll talk about the importance of zero-to-one growth and how investors can back new companies’ success.