On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, our host, entrepreneur, and investor, Frank Gruber (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankgruber), is joined by Aubrie Pagano.

Aubrie Pagano is a General Partner at Alpaca VC, a venture capital firm investing in the people, products, and platforms reimagining the real world. Before joining Alpaca VC, Aubrie co-founded Bow & Drape, a fashion-tech startup that was acquired by Winn Brands in 2019. She is passionate about supporting founders and shares her journey from being a startup founder to becoming a venture capitalist.

This interview covers what it takes to transition from entrepreneurship to venture capital, the challenges and opportunities in choosing where to invest, and how to maintain a balance between personal and professional life.

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Startup of the Year helps diverse, emerging startups, founding teams, and entrepreneurs push their companies to the next level. We are a competition, a global community, and a resource. Startup of the Year is also a year-long program that searches the country for a geographically diverse set of startups from all backgrounds and pulls them together to compete for the title of Startup of the Year. Check out Startup of the Year at: www.startupofyear.com

The program includes in-person and virtual events, including our annual SXSW startup pitch and competition. All of this culminates at our Startup of the Year Summit, where the Startup of the Year winner is announced and has an opportunity at a potential investment.

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