TechCrunch Disrupt 2021 Startup Battlefield Judges Revealed

The Competition for Startup Battlefield Supremacy

The quest to emerge victorious in the Startup Battlefield commenced well before Tuesday’s launch of TechCrunch Disrupt. A multitude of startup founders globally submitted applications to what is widely considered the most fiercely contested selection process in TechCrunch’s history. This week, twenty startups presented their ventures on the TechCrunch virtual platform, vying for $100,000 in equity-free funding. The finalists – Adventr, Cellino, Koa, Nth Cycle, and Tatum – were announced last night.

However, the significance extends beyond the monetary prize. The winning startup will gain recognition from investors, prospective collaborators, and customers, facilitated by the extensive press coverage the event receives. This represents a substantial reward, necessitating a panel of seasoned judges to determine the most deserving recipient. This appointment, though temporary, can profoundly influence the trajectory of winning founders and reinforce TechCrunch’s standing as a discoverer of groundbreaking technology and entrepreneurial talent.

Introducing the 2021 Startup Battlefield Judges

Here are the five individuals entrusted with selecting the 2021 Startup Battlefield champion:

Kirsten Green serves as the founder and managing partner of Forerunner Ventures, a venture capital firm based in San Francisco established in 2010. Green has cultivated a reputation as a VC expert by specializing in key investment areas, initially focusing on consumer products and subsequently expanding into health, wellness, and resilient supply chains. Prior to founding Forerunner, the UCLA business economics alumna and certified public accountant held positions as an equity research analyst and investor at Banc of America Securities, previously Montgomery Securities, specializing in publicly traded retail and consumer companies.

Green’s accomplishments have been widely recognized, including inclusion in Time’s 100 Most Influential People and designation as a Top 20 Venture Capitalist by The New York Times. She currently holds board positions at several portfolio companies, such as Glossier, Faire, Hims-Hers, Curated, Ritual, and Modern Fertility. Furthermore, she serves on the board of Nordstrom and previously contributed to Dollar Shave Club and Bonobos as a board member.

Jim Lanzone was recently appointed as the next CEO of Yahoo Inc. (formerly Verizon Media and now a TechCrunch corporate affiliate), with his tenure beginning on September 27th. This appointment followed Apollo Global’s completion of its $5 billion acquisition of the media group from Verizon just under two weeks prior. Lanzone is transitioning from his current role as CEO of the dating application Tinder to assume this new leadership position.

Lanzone possesses extensive experience in media and entrepreneurship. He spent seven years at Ask.com (formerly Ask Jeeves), a division of IAC/InterActiveCorp., ultimately leading the internet company. He subsequently launched Clicker, a platform for internet video search and programming. Clicker, which debuted at the TechCrunch50 conference in 2009, was later acquired by CBS Interactive. He progressed through the ranks at CBSi, assuming the role of chief digital officer and eventually president and CEO. During his time at CBSi, Lanzone spearheaded the development, launch, and expansion of streaming services like CBS All Access, CBSN, and CBS Sports HQ.

Luciana Lixandru is a partner at Sequoia, concentrating on enterprise and consumer technology ventures throughout Europe. The Georgetown University graduate, with degrees in economics and mathematics, began her career as an analyst at Morgan Stanley and later served as an associate at Summit Partners.

Before joining Sequoia as its first European partner, Lixandru spent eight years at Accel, where she oversaw investments in companies including Deliveroo, Hopin, Miro, and UiPath.

Sarah Tavel is a general partner at Benchmark, focusing her investments on businesses exhibiting network effects, particularly in marketplaces, social platforms, and cryptocurrency. Tavel currently serves on the boards of Chainalysis, Hipcamp, REKKI, Supergreat, Popshop, and Poparazzi, alongside several undisclosed companies.

Following her graduation from Harvard with a philosophy degree, Tavel worked as a consultant at The Kerden Group and then as a vice president at Bessemer Venture Partners. She joined Pinterest in 2012 as one of its earliest employees, after co-leading the Series A investment while at Bessemer. During her tenure at Pinterest, she contributed to its international expansion, the closing of its Series C funding round, and oversaw three acquisitions.

Tavel departed Pinterest to become a partner at Greylock Partners, where she led their investment in Sonder and Gixo, which was subsequently acquired by Openfit.

Tavel is also a founding member of All Raise, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting women in the venture capital and VC-backed startup ecosystem.

Alexa von Tobel, the co-founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital, possesses firsthand experience relatable to the startup founders on the TechCrunch stage. The Harvard College and Harvard Business School graduate established LearnVest in 2008, aiming to empower individuals in managing their finances. The company secured approximately $75 million in venture funding and was acquired by Northwestern Mutual in May 2015, marking one of the largest fintech acquisitions of that decade.

Von Tobel subsequently joined Northwestern Mutual’s management team as its inaugural chief digital officer. She later assumed the role of chief innovation officer, overseeing the company’s venture arm. She is also the author of the New York Times-Bestselling books, “Financially Fearless and Financially Forward,” and hosts the weekly podcast “The Founders Project with Alexa von Tobel.” Alexa is a member of the 2016 Class of Henry Crown Fellows and an inaugural member of President Obama’s Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship.