Kayla Kavanaugh is a Venture Partner at Afore Capital who writes $500K–$1.2M checks to pre-traction, pre-everything founders even before companies are formally formed, and explicitly keeps her DMs open to founders anywhere in the world. She brings a unique mix of Midwestern VC experience from Grand Ventures and the Michigan Venture Capital Association combined with her current San Francisco base, and actively creates content to demystify VC networking for under-networked participants, especially young women in tech.

• Targeting student entrepreneurs and recent graduates who are building projects while still in university. She actively promotes a residency program designed specifically for current students, dropouts, or new grads, and frequently organizes visits to specific campuses like Waterloo and UCLA to recruit young founders who are ready to take their side projects full-time.
• A strong preference for pre-seed investments and guiding founders through the earliest stages of company formation. She advises early-stage builders to avoid wasting time on complex financial models before they have revenue, suggesting that it is better to verbally explain the logic behind potential growth rather than creating spreadsheets based on zero data.
• Deep interest in consumer social product mechanics and the specific features that drive community engagement. For example, she offered a detailed critique of a new audio-based social platform, comparing it to previous apps to highlight how specific design choices, such as channel discovery and small group dynamics, are essential for user retention and meaningful connection.
• Enthusiasm for AI-native tools and hard tech, particularly regarding their operational efficiency. She highlighted data from her firm suggesting that startups built natively with artificial intelligence require significantly less capital to reach one million in recurring revenue compared to non-AI companies, validating the current focus on investing in this sector.
• Active involvement in talent scouting to match ambitious individuals with portfolio companies. She frequently posts opportunities for internships or full-time roles, specifically looking for people with practical skills—such as the ability to create viral short-form video content—to join high-growth startups in sales or growth marketing positions.