Introducing Lisa Kim: Investible’s new Portfolio Manager

As our portfolio of startups continues to expand, we are doubling down on our commitment to being the best partner we can be. This goal has led to us sculpting a brand new position dedicated solely to supporting the companies in our growing portfolio.

After a thorough search, we are very pleased to announce Lisa Kim as the newest member of the Investible crew. Working alongside the Investment team, she will be hyper-focused on developing our portfolio companies and aligning with the founders who drive them.

Lisa brings strong product management chops, plus veteran operational and strategic insight to this newly minted position. Her wealth of experience includes diverse roles in strategic advisory, product leadership and as a tech founder.

We caught up with Lisa to learn more about her vision for this new role.

How has your past experience prepared you for this role?

I started my career at PwC as a graduate working with private businesses and high net wealth family groups. At the time, businesses around the world were working through the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis and I had a front row seat to see how successful businesses operated in times of extreme pressure and set themselves up to thrive.

While at PwC, I earned my CA qualification and learned how to become a trusted business advisor from some extraordinary people. I was also given an opportunity to work on an internal technology transformation project which gave me insight into how legacy systems impact productivity, and sparked my interest in how businesses can build enduring competitive advantages through tech adoption.

Eventually, I branched out on my own to address the issue of inefficient legal research tools. I bootstrapped the project for 18 months, learned how to code to build a prototype and secured a position in the inaugural BlueChilli SheStarts accelerator.

I was one of twenty female founders chosen from over 500 applicants, it was a fantastic learning experience and introduced me to the world of product management which eventually led to an opportunity to join Wolters Kluwer.

And it was there that you immersed yourself in product management?

That’s right, I saw the opportunity as a chance to put into practice everything I learned on a much bigger scale. As a Product Owner, I leveraged my knowledge of how accountants work to build software that helps mid-tier and boutique accounting practices deliver high levels of service to their clients.

I was then given the opportunity to take on a strategic focus, leading the product management team. As Head of Product for APAC Professional Software, I was responsible for coaching and developing a team of product managers, setting the product vision and strategy for the portfolio and owning the portfolio’s product roadmap.

During this time, I built up the product management function, embedding a customer-centric culture and establishing an operating rhythm for the development and delivery of products.

Working with our cross-functional partners, our team delivered the implementation of customer discovery programs and product feedback loops, customer onboarding improvement projects, and delivered complex programs including technology partnerships, product migrations and infrastructure system migrations.

What will you be working on as Investible’s Portfolio Manager?

My focus is on providing operational support to Investible’s stellar portfolio of tech companies (which is growing every single quarter). I will be the key point of contact for onboarding new founders and supporting them as they scale their business.

I’m conscious of the challenging environment founders face as they grow their business. Drawing on my experiences with businesses operating in high pressure, resource constrained environments and setting themselves up to thrive; combined with tactical and strategic product management experience, my focus will be on product, technology, growth and strategy challenges.

What else should startup founders know about your remit?

As seed-stage investors, the Investible team pride themselves on providing ‘more than money’. The way we help each founder will be slightly different. My role is to understand what roadblocks founders are facing and either leverage my expertise directly, or connect them with other people to help clear the path.

As part of the Investible portfolio, founders have access to an extended support network that can assist across product, business strategy, marketing, public relations, recruitment and growth advisory. We also support founders with introductions to key customers and investors who can help make things happen.

On top of this, we can help unlock further opportunities through Club Investible. This network of members provide a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience that can help our founders enter new markets, establish key partnerships and make impactful connections.

As part of the Investment Team, I am also responsible for providing regular portfolio company updates and supporting the team in analysing follow-on investment decisions. In our regular founder catch ups we’ll discuss your plans for fundraising and I can assist by providing feedback on pitch decks and finding connections in our investor network.

What excites you about joining Investible?

I’m excited about joining a team that has been involved in all aspects of the Australian start-up ecosystem both as founders and continuing to support the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship in Australia as investors.

The heritage of Investible combined with the vision of establishing seed-stage investing into its own asset class on a global scale have made it an exciting time to join the business.

I am inspired by working with passionate founders and supporting them to build amazing products that improve how we work and live; and to build companies that are great places to work.

What’s your personal philosophy?

I strive to have a net positive impact - the general principle is to contribute more than I consume and leave things better off. Practically, this means delivering practical value in my interactions with founders and helping businesses reach a better position than they were in before coming onboard with Investible.

‍You can connect with Lisa on LinkedIn.