I’m proud to announce that Washington Capitals forward, Tom Wilson, has invested in Collaborative Fund. Our team spends a lot of time thinking about the companies we back, but we’re also deliberate about who backs us. In the same way a successful startup can be choosy about what checks to accept, we think our limited partners say as much about us, and what we care about, as our investments do. The source of capital matters. One of the things I am most proud of is the eclectic group of backers we’ve attracted over the years – including the likes of Nicholas Negroponte, Chad Hurley, Pharrell Williams, Shepard Fairey, and even Sesame Street. Technologists, entrepreneurs, artists, and people who see the world differently. I look at that group and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude that they’ve trusted us. Today, I’m excited to officially welcome Tom as an investor in our fund. If you didn’t grow up going to Caps games with your dad like I did, allow me a brief primer on why for 13 brilliant seasons I’ve been watching Tom establish himself as one of the best hockey players in the world. Tom came into the league at age 19 as a first-round pick who mostly hit people, a job he was extremely good at. Plenty of players make a fine career out of it. Instead, somewhere in his twenties, he decided to become a different kind of player, so he put in the work and brought back the receipts: back-to-back 30-goal seasons, a Stanley Cup in 2018, and a spot on the top line of the 2026 Canadian Olympic team. Our industry likes to write lists about what founders should be: relentless, coachable, obsessed. The lists aren't wrong, they're just not that useful, because no one has ever become relentless by reading about it. You learn it by doing it. Tom is doing it. He is the definition of grit, hardwork, and resilience. Those are qualities I value in entrepreneurs and in anyone I want to build something with. Tom is already a fan and customer of several of our portfolio companies. I’m excited to build on that connection as we continue backing companies pushing the world forward, especially in sports, health, and wellness (and dogs!). Let’s go, #43!