Devin Nash: Making People Bigger Heroes in Their Own Story

On the show today, Apollo speaks with Devin Nash, Vice President of Brand & Experience at Underscore VC. Underscore is an early-stage, Boston-based VC Firm backing bold entrepreneurs with an aligned community designed to fit each startup's unique needs.

Devin is the driving force behind the Underscore brand, from strategy and creative to communications and founder products. The epitome of a community builder, Devin is also a passionate champion of Underscore’s ESG efforts, continually pushing the Underscore Core Community to strive for more, with a particular emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Devin was shocked by her own results on the PLE test, scoring highest in Prioritize, and lowest in Execute. She chats with Apollo about her “get stuff done” attitude, how she first discovered her passion for VC, the methods she and her team employ in order to build a committed community, and what she hopes for in the future of impact investing.  

—

Guest Bio

Devin Nash is the Marketing Director at Underscore VC, an early-stage, Boston-based VC Firm backing bold entrepreneurs with an aligned community designed to fit each startup's unique needs.

Fueled by purpose and her belief that entrepreneurship can change the world for good, she is a Board Member and Ecosystem Advisory Committee Co-Chair for Visible Hands and previously served as a Board Member of the VC Platform Global Community and held the role of North America Managing Ambassador for One Young World. 

When Devin isn’t actively improving the world, she can be found improving her home through jaw-dropping DIY projects, decorating cakes (funfetti only, non-negotiable), and listening to “How I Built This.”

—

Guest PLE Score

• Prioritize - 54%
• Leverage - 44%
• Execute - 4%

—

Guest Quote

“I am the person that is generally onboarding our founders, and I'm very intentional about asking: ‘What are the reasons that you selected us?’ What I hear time and time again is that number one, it's our people. And number two, it's this opportunity to engage with the core community, both from the advisor perspective, but also from the pool of talent that they get access to as a result.” - Devin Nash

—

Time Stamps 

*(3:24) Devin’s Achievement Index

*(5:58) A bit about Underscore VC

*(14:53) How Devin grows her local ecosystem

*(16:54) Underscore’s Core Partner Makeup

*(23:21) Navigating the transition from Execution to Leverage

*(24:26) Rewriting your mission statements

*(29:08) Building diversity from the ground up

*(31:33) How to take the next leap in your career

*(36:36) Building culture at your firm

*(37:44) Apollo’s Takeaways

—

Links

• Find out YOUR Achievement Index
• Connect with Devin Nash on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Underscore VC
• Connect with Dr. Apollo Emeka on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Apollo Strategy Group