Les Craig is a former CIA officer turned venture capitalist at Next Frontier Capital who brings a national security lens to assessing founders and technologies, which is unusual in mainstream VC. He's also known as one of the visible evangelists for building venture-scale companies specifically in Montana and the broader Northern Rockies region, hosting "Found in the Rockies" podcast and regularly speaking about investing strategies for the Mountain West.

• Dedication to the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest startup ecosystems. There is a strong emphasis on building and supporting tech communities outside traditional coastal hubs, specifically highlighting companies, events, and venture capital activity in places like Montana, Idaho, and Utah. For example, organizing a massive gathering of emerging venture capitalists right in Montana to elevate the local startup ecosystem.
• Amplifying the personal stories of regional entrepreneurs through a dedicated podcast. The focus is heavily on celebrating founder resilience, diversity, and vision rather than strictly focusing on business metrics or revenue. For instance, dedicating an episode to showcasing the insightful journey of a Polynesian tech founder building a data company in Utah.
• Deep personal ties to military service and the veteran community. Having graduated from a military academy and served in combat, there is a clear appreciation for camaraderie, enduring purpose, and shared history. This is evident when warmly recalling watching college football while deployed to Afghanistan, or when pausing to honor the life and passing of a centenarian World War Two veteran.
• Advocating for mental wellness among startup founders and venture capitalists. There is a deeply transparent approach to discussing psychological health, framing it as a crucial conversation for everyone in the high stress startup world. A poignant example is openly sharing personal struggles with post combat mental health and recommending a transformative book on brain energy that provided a clear path to lifelong healing.
• Enthusiasm for applied artificial intelligence and specialized technology solving complex real world problems. There is a distinct interest in how innovative tools can revolutionize legacy or highly impactful industries. An example is praising a founder who leverages conversational artificial intelligence to supercharge much needed solutions within healthcare and senior living facilities.