From Boardrooms to Breakthroughs: Exploring the Role of the Board Member in Venture Capital

Jeff Bocan is a partner at Okapi Venture Capital, which is a venture capital firm based in Ladera Ranch, California that invests during the seed stage in technology and software driven companies. First, we talk about the factors that led Jeff to pursue a career in venture capital and some of the unique insights he gained from interesting experiences that he had early on in his career. We also talk about his current role at Okapi, and we analyze Okapi’s unique investment strategy and how they work to create value for their portfolio companies. Next, we do a deep dive into what it means to be a board member of a VC funded company, how board members are chosen, and what specific ways board members can provide value to the companies they oversee. Finally, we talk about Jeff’s time on the management team of the successful startup Mophie, as well as how Jeff almost became the “Burrito King of London.”