OUR TEAM
GREGG SMITH,
FOUNDER
MY ROOTS
My name is Gregg Smith, and I thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself. I was born in Manhattan, have lived here my entire life, and have raised my two kids here. When I graduated college in 1992, I headed to Wall Street and spent the next 15 years as an investment banker focused on executing equity private placements for my clients before becoming a full-time investor.
Today, I am no longer a banker or advisor for hire - I don’t accept any fees and solely focus on investing. I don’t have a fund and I only invest my own capital, and have 250+ investments in private, venture-backed companies which I am very passionate about (most are listed here on this site).
As an investment banker, I executed 150+ private equity and other deals worth billions for clients in technology, healthcare, consumer, and retail as well as other growth sectors. I have significant experience in sourcing institutional capital, structuring deals, and negotiating complex term sheets.
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FORMER POSITIONS
Prior to launching Evolution, I was the Head of the Private Equity Group at Cowen and Co. and was a Principal of the Equity Private Placements Group at Banc of America Securities. I began my career at Bear, Stearns & Co. in the investment banking group in 1992.
Over my career in my role as the lead “execution” banker for my clients, I represented and advised the C-suite and Board on sourcing capital, implemented their capital raising strategy, and negotiated term sheets to drive the funding process to a close. I maintained relationships with the world’s leading private equity and hedge funds, public market institutional investors, family offices, and high net worth individuals.
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WHAT I AM NOW
I refer to myself as a “Culture Tech” investor and try to invest in companies that are disruptive to culture—whether it is new ways of eating, healing, traveling, shopping, working, playing, or smoking. I currently spend half of my workday looking at new investment opportunities, and the other half working with/ advising founders on issues ranging from recruiting, business development, strategy, editing their investment decks, providing leads, and solving problems.
My only “partners” are my two children who are in college and high school. They sometimes help me to assess and evaluate new investments, especially things they too are passionate about and have a strong point of view, like Sweetgreen, where they each spend too much money.
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MY GOALS
I love investing in companies that I am passionate about and then working to help founders accelerate growth and, in turn, the value of my equity. I work with my founders to be their “Rabbi” and I am available 24/7 to help them in any way possible. I simply want to invest, have fun, and be able to feel like I was part of witnessing history by watching small companies grow, leave the nest, and thrive.
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OTHER STUFF
I am a member of two angel investment groups - Sand Hill Angels (SHA) and Gaingels - which afford me additional investment opportunities. Currently, I am also the only east coast member of SHA which focuses on making investments in disruptive early-stage companies. I am also an active member of Gaingels, which seeks to influence social change through business by investing in the best companies with LGBT+ leadership alongside top venture investment firms.
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SCHOOL
I received a B.S. in Business from Skidmore College in 1992 and was elected Treasurer of my class for all four years. I minored in Asian studies. Prior to college, I attended Dwight and Trinity schools in NYC.
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OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICE
I am passionate about the 212 (NYC), the New York Rangers, Italian and steak restaurants, skiing, tennis, traveling, hiking our national parks with my kids, and investing in exciting companies changing the world. I have been told that I drive like an “old-school NY cabbie” and, if stranded on a deserted island forever with no regard for health, my top food choices to take with me would be fried chicken, baby-back ribs, pizza, and steak. My friends make fun of me because I tend to eat like a child, and I like to drink my vodka on the rocks (Tito’s or Stoli Ohranj) in a wine glass because it really does taste better.
My darkest secret—I am a TV junkie and have a lot of recommendations, but my all-time favs are Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Seinfeld and
Walking Dead. If you have read this far, it would be my pleasure to have a cocktail with you.
ROBERT HARARY,
INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE
MY ROOTS
I’m Robert Harary, a Brooklyn-born technology and venture fanatic passionate about the future and the technology that takes us there. I’ve been working in marketing and venture capital since I was 15 years old (ask me about the time I found my first venture deal in a detention), serving as the Director of Market Development for Research Frontiers (NASDAQ: REFR) and Managing Director of GlassHorse Ventures before founding OneH in 2016 and joining Evolution VC Partners in 2019.
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FORMER POSITIONS
I was formerly the Director of Market Development for Research Frontiers, Inc. (NASDAQ: REFR) where I focused on growing REFR from an R&D center to a business development hub for their 40+ global licensees. In this position I lead the company’s investment division, executing corporate VC investments on behalf of the company into Seed and Series A stage IoT companies and oversaw their global marketing efforts - working closely with their licensees and producing advertisements featured in Times Square. I left REFR at 18 years old to launch GlassHorse Ventures, an angel group of 40+ investors investing into Seed and Series A stage consumer technology companies. I launched OneH in 2017 to connect startups with investors based on what they have in common. Today, the platform hosts hundreds of startups and investors across every stage from around the world and is continuing to grow.
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WHAT I AM NOW
I’m currently the only Investment Associate at Evolution VC Partners, working closely with our 130+ portfolio companies across every stage to support their growth through strategic introductions, analysis, and preparation for future rounds of financing.
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MY GOALS
I basically never sleep. Chances are that when you’re up at 3 AM thinking about your company, I am too. I’m most effective when it comes to marketing, messaging, digital design, strategizing for your next round of financing, and offering any advice I can from one founder to another so please do not hesitate to reach out to me and I’ll make myself available to you.