Geoff Winegar

I like to say I’ve lived around the world. I was born and raised mostly in the Bay Area, but I spent a good amount of my childhood near NYC and in Hong Kong (before and after its handover from Britain to China). Being immersed in each of these economic centers inspired an interest in the connection between emerging businesses and thriving communities. 

My parents taught me that happiness most often comes from helping others. I genuinely enjoy helping entrepreneurs on their journey — even if they aren’t currently raising, or are working on companies that aren’t an immediate fit with our firm’s philosophy. 

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I studied chemical engineering at Cal. It gave me a great foundation in systems thinking and problem solving, along with a deep interest in technical challenges — especially ones we face as a human race, like climate change. Admittedly, some of the hippie culture rubbed off on me: I still try to ride my bike instead of drive whenever I can, and I love spending time outdoors.

I love learning languages. Each one opens up a new world: music, culture, humor, ways of thinking, and more. Most importantly, each language enables connection in a deeper, more meaningful way with its native speakers. Lately, I’ve enjoyed learning to communicate with my son —  he’s still at the babbling stage, but it’s so fun to see all the ways he can express himself without words.

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Hearing the founders’ journeys and the stories behind the businesses they’ve built fascinates and inspires me. Product-founder fit is in some ways a mechanical, less-exciting way of saying some founders were “destined” — due to their life trajectories and collective experiences — to build certain businesses, and it’s beautiful to see how the end result came together.

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I developed a muscle for structured thinking while consulting at BCG with top-tier later-stage investors and tech companies. However, I also learned how to overcome some of the challenges of operating firsthand by moving fast and thriving in ambiguity while building a product for a B2B SaaS startup going from zero to one, and helping a rapidly scaling food delivery startup scale and launch in new geographies.

‍I chose to work at MVP because of the team. MVP has built a small, exceptionally talented group of people that works hard, and I respect them greatly. But most importantly, they’re good people and I trust them.