James Black

I always knew I wanted to work in tech. Every other career option felt boring in comparison. Growing up, I diligently read technology news, jailbroke my iPod, and modded an Xbox. My tech obsession led me to join Qatalyst Partners after college, where I started engaging with entrepreneurs like the founders of Docusign, Shipt, and Slack.

From there, I joined Canva in Australia to build the Strategic Finance team. The night before we were kicking off fundraising pitches for Canva’s Series B, and I stayed up until 4am with Mel (CEO), Cliff (COO), and Damien (CFO) in a marathon working session refining our story. Despite our sleep deprivation, we nailed the investor call at 9am. It was the most fun I've had working that late, but it also gave me empathy for the grind that goes into fundraising.

I joined IVP in 2019 for two reasons. First, I was eager to continue supporting and working alongside the most talented and ambitious entrepreneurs. Second, I was impressed by IVP's commitment to a team-oriented approach, which guides all our work.