Six Questions with Evan Hamilton, New to the Investment Team!
July 27, 2021Jul 27, 2021 | By Kerry Bennett

Nothing says "the new normal" like returning to the office with new team members. It's one of many reasons we're excited to welcome Evan Hamilton to the Upfront Investment Team. Below, find out what excites this LA champion about venture (and where to find the best hot sandwich in the city.)

Why is venture the place for you? 

I have a nontraditional background for venture, with a degree in anthropology and sustainable development, but in my past roles at places like Alta Motors, The LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI)  and Homeboy Capital, I've always loved working with thoughtful and intelligent individuals, on incredibly niche ideas, and helping them scale and grow. I don't see a better place to do that than VC. 

What makes LA a great city for venture and tech? 

LA is a polynodal ecosystem - there is no center of gravity for interesting companies to get started. You have the Santa Monica thing, the Venice vibe, the Arts District/DTLA, Pacoima, the Valley, Hawthorne, Inglewood - I couldn't think of a more exciting home for entrepreneurship.

Not to mention, if you think about the five main stakeholders of innovation ecosystems - corporates, universities, entrepreneurs, risk capital, and government - LA keeps getting better in each area.     

Why were you excited to join the Upfront team? 

I'm truly committed to help build the innovation ecosystem of LA  - I was #LongLA before I even knew Upfront invented the hashtag. I wanted to come and work with folks who have been in venture for a long time, seasoned GPs who I can actively see doing deal flow of course but also being a part of and helping to grow the larger LA ecosystem. To me, there's no better place than Upfront.

What will you be doing at Upfront?

I'm a Chief of Staff on the investment team, working most directly with Kobie Fuller. The role has different meanings in different industries, but here, this means I'll get to identify interesting early stage companies while also supporting existing portfolio companies as they go-to-market, pivot and scale. Additionally, I'll spend time thinking through emerging markets and verticals where we can identify investment opportunities.

What one lesson did you learn while operating that you wish you'd known sooner?

It is easy to get caught up “putting out fires” and trying to solve the problem that is right in front of you, but it is important to step back and make sure these “urgent” problems are also “important” problems to fix.

Similarly, when building a company, it is important to find the balance between listening to the market trends and the evolving competitive landscape, while also staying focused on your product. Every company is going through their own set of challenges, so don’t get discouraged by a splashy article on TechCrunch or dot.LA about a competitor.

Let's say you've got people visiting LA for the first time. Where are you taking them?

Definitely Yuca's for the best burrito in town, Wine Spirits and Cheese for the best cold sandwiches, and Johnny's for the best hot sandwich (but swinging by Mickey D's for the french fries.) And of course, I love taking people to LACMA.

When he's not singing karaoke (song of choice: Valerie by Amy Winehouse), you can find Evan Hamilton here.

Nothing says "the new normal" like returning to the office with new team members. It's one of many reasons we're excited to welcome Evan Hamilton to the Upfront Investment Team. Below, find out what excites this LA champion about venture (and where to find the best hot sandwich in the city.)

Why is venture the place for you? 

I have a nontraditional background for venture, with a degree in anthropology and sustainable development, but in my past roles at places like Alta Motors, The LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI)  and Homeboy Capital, I've always loved working with thoughtful and intelligent individuals, on incredibly niche ideas, and helping them scale and grow. I don't see a better place to do that than VC. 

What makes LA a great city for venture and tech? 

LA is a polynodal ecosystem - there is no center of gravity for interesting companies to get started. You have the Santa Monica thing, the Venice vibe, the Arts District/DTLA, Pacoima, the Valley, Hawthorne, Inglewood - I couldn't think of a more exciting home for entrepreneurship.

Not to mention, if you think about the five main stakeholders of innovation ecosystems - corporates, universities, entrepreneurs, risk capital, and government - LA keeps getting better in each area.     

Why were you excited to join the Upfront team? 

I'm truly committed to help build the innovation ecosystem of LA  - I was #LongLA before I even knew Upfront invented the hashtag. I wanted to come and work with folks who have been in venture for a long time, seasoned GPs who I can actively see doing deal flow of course but also being a part of and helping to grow the larger LA ecosystem. To me, there's no better place than Upfront.

What will you be doing at Upfront?

I'm a Chief of Staff on the investment team, working most directly with Kobie Fuller. The role has different meanings in different industries, but here, this means I'll get to identify interesting early stage companies while also supporting existing portfolio companies as they go-to-market, pivot and scale. Additionally, I'll spend time thinking through emerging markets and verticals where we can identify investment opportunities.

What one lesson did you learn while operating that you wish you'd known sooner?

It is easy to get caught up “putting out fires” and trying to solve the problem that is right in front of you, but it is important to step back and make sure these “urgent” problems are also “important” problems to fix.

Similarly, when building a company, it is important to find the balance between listening to the market trends and the evolving competitive landscape, while also staying focused on your product. Every company is going through their own set of challenges, so don’t get discouraged by a splashy article on TechCrunch or dot.LA about a competitor.

Let's say you've got people visiting LA for the first time. Where are you taking them?

Definitely Yuca's for the best burrito in town, Wine Spirits and Cheese for the best cold sandwiches, and Johnny's for the best hot sandwich (but swinging by Mickey D's for the french fries.) And of course, I love taking people to LACMA.

When he's not singing karaoke (song of choice: Valerie by Amy Winehouse), you can find Evan Hamilton here.