Taylor Greene is a former entrepreneur turned venture capital investor who founded Twelve Below after serving as a partner at Lerer Hippeau and Collaborative Fund, focusing exclusively on New York City seed-stage investments. He invests as a first believer in founders across fintech, healthcare, and consumer sectors, emphasizing exceptional talent and character as key criteria rather than chasing investment themes.

• Focuses on early-stage investing across specific industries through a fund called Twelve Below. Explicitly targets seed and pre-seed stages with a mandate to back underdog founders building in fintech, healthcare, and consumer sectors, while also showing interest in climate-related opportunities.
• Values character and long-term personal history when selecting partners. Shared a story about investing in the founder of Step, noting that their relationship began years prior in college when the founder stopped to help jump a dead car battery before a job interview. This suggests a high value placed on integrity and past interactions.
• Drawn to product ideas that might seem unconventional or weird at first glance. Recalled the early pitch for Allbirds, noting that the concept of sustainable wool shoes for people who hate socks seemed strange initially, but he was won over by the narrative and utility. Believes that the best category-defining products often look different in the beginning.
• Deeply embedded in the New York City ecosystem. Frequently references lessons learned from over a decade of investing in NYC and maintains strong collaborative ties with former partners at local firms like Lerer Hippeau. Even playfully offers walking tours of the city to founders, indicating a strong preference for local engagement.
• Attraction to founders who display a specific mix of humility and ambition. Highlighted a portfolio company in the vertical farming space as a prime example of why you should never bet against a team that is humble yet hungry to succeed.