I pivoted into venture capital at 23 and my life has never been so exciting. Here’s my advice for breaking into the industry.

I pivoted into venture capital at 23 and my life has never been so exciting. Here’s my advice for breaking into the industry.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Katie Vasquez, a 26-year-old investor at Calibrate Ventures based in Santa Monica, California, on her experience working in venture capital. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I’m an investor at Calibrate Ventures, an early-stage deep-tech venture capital firm.

The path that led me here was somewhat unconventional. My educational background is in astrophysics, but I’ve also dabbled in entrepreneurship and worked in consulting.

I eventually got my first VC job when I was 23 years old.

Though it took me about a year and a half to land my first VC role after finishing college, I’m still on the younger end of professionals in my industry. My advice for other people hoping to get into VC is to leverage your network and stay up to date on the industry.

I realized academia wasn’t for me and eventually pivoted to entrepreneurship

During my teen years, I was fascinated with astrophysics. In 2016, I started my undergrad at Brown University, thinking I would go on to get my Ph.D. and become a scientist.

However, I realized the academic path wasn’t for me when I spent my freshman year summer working with a theoretical research group and trying to code physics formulas. It helped me realize I’m more drawn to roles where I can work directly with people and see tangible results.

During my senior year of college, I was interested in entrepreneurship. A friend and I had talked about starting a company one day. We brought in a third friend and did just that in our final year.

We launched a mobile app that we spent the year developing. I got us into an accelerator and raised some grant capital. In the fall, we talked to a couple of VCs and even pitched Y Combinator. It wasn’t a very successful venture, but it was a good learning opportunity.

I secured my first VC job with the help of recruiters

I started working at EY-Parthenon in September 2020, after I’d graduated, as an associate consultant, assisting private equity firms in acquiring software and tech companies.

This experience provided a great foundation for thinking more about technical due diligence, tech architecture, and strategy, but moving into investing and venture capital felt like the most exciting path.

While I was in that role, recruiters reached out to me. I was surprised at first, but I was excited to make the leap. My background in physics, combined with my finance experience at EY-Parthenon and two summer internships at Goldman, gave me a unique blend of technical and financial expertise that helped propel my career.

I worked with recruiters to get my first VC position at a firm called MTech Capital in December 2021. I stayed there for two years, but I still had a passion for physics and aerospace I couldn’t explore at the firm, which invested in fintech, insurtech, and healthtech. I spoke about this with people in my network in the Los Angeles area, and I was referred to my current role, which I started in January.

I’m now an investor at Calibrate Ventures focusing on deep-tech. A typical day includes taking a few pitches, checking with the team on our investment committee, and also working on developing my own role as a thought leader.

Since I am early in my career, I am always looking to learn about every part of the business, so I ask a lot of questions and listen to my team, founders and mentors. I’m like a sponge.

I’m on the younger end of the professionals in my industry, but after three years I don’t think I’m the youngest anymore.

I feel fortunate that the LA venture community is vibrant and supportive. There are many young investors and a growing number of women in the field. I even recently moderated a panel at LA Tech Week and also launched a deep tech brunch series.

Additionally, getting involved in the community and being part of different professional groups, such as Synergist Network, which is for women in investing, is helpful in creating a sense of community and support.

Even though I’m younger in the industry, I’ve never felt belittled — everyone has always been very respectful.

People who want a career in VC should stay up-to-date on the industry and leverage their network

For those interested in a career in VC, I think the best thing you can do is stay as up-to-date on the industry as possible — whether it’s through podcasts, newsletters, books, or social media.

I spend a lot of my time now reading and keeping up with scientists on social media to stay ahead of rapidly emerging technologies.

Even before I was in my current role, I took time to learn more about the industries I was interested in. For instance, while I was primarily focused on fintech in my first VC role, I still sought out deep tech exposure and attended a Space Investor Summit in LA, which allowed me to connect with satellite insurance companies leveraging space observation data.

I also recommend leveraging your network — even if it’s somebody you went to school with a couple of years ago, ask them if they have anyone they can introduce you to and just pick people’s brains by asking questions about their career.

If you want to be in this kind of industry, let people know what kinds of opportunities you’re looking for. That way, people can let you know if they see a job posting that would be a fit for you. Having mentors through your network can also be helpful for identifying if a career path or role is right for you.

I’m committed to staying in VC for the rest of my career. The past few years — especially this last year — have been the most fulfilling and exciting of my life.