Discover the Human Side of Venture Capital: Why Founder Wellbeing is the Next Big Thing
What if the real secret to startup success isn’t just the business model—but the wellbeing of the founders behind it? In this episode of the Female VC Lab podcast, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Kristina Chapple, General Partner at 11 Tribes Ventures, for a refreshingly honest look at what it really takes to build companies that thrive for the long haul. Kristina shares how 11 Tribes is shaking up the venture world by putting founder health, relationships, and resilience at the heart of their thesis—and even putting real dollars to work to support it.
If you’re a founder, investor, or anyone passionate about building sustainable companies, this episode is packed with actionable insights: from why traditional VC approaches fall short, to how supporting the “whole person” leads to better exits, stronger teams, and generational wealth creation. Kristina’s candid stories and practical advice will leave you rethinking what venture capital can—and should—look like in the years ahead.
Guest Information
Guest Name: Kristina Chapple
Bio: Kristina Chapple is General Partner at 11 Tribes Ventures, a venture fund championing a new approach to supporting founders. Her focus: investing in both the business and the personal resilience of early-stage entrepreneurs.
Links:
Episode Outline
Redefining the “Exit Conversation” in VC
Kristina unpacks the traditional focus on business outcomes—and how 11 Tribes is pioneering “founder outcome” metrics, measuring impact on relationships, families, and founder health.
Putting Founder Resilience Front and Center
Learn how 11 Tribes allocates 2% of every investment for coaching, therapy, health, and even marriage counseling—non-dilutive capital dedicated to founder wellbeing.
A Fresh Approach to Underwriting and Exits
Why chasing the $1B unicorn isn’t the only path: 11 Tribes targets $50M-$300M middle-market exits, supporting lean teams and quicker returns while still offering life-changing outcomes for founders.
Related Episodes & Additional Resources
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Book: “Personal History” by Katharine Graham (recommended in this episode)
Transcript
For a full transcript of this episode, visit the podcast website: femalevclab.com
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