Hey, future friend!

First off, let’s not make this more difficult than it has to be. If you want to say hello too, here’s my email — tap.pollock@gmail.com — and if you need advice, just snag a time here.

The short version.

Tristan Pollock is a tech entrepreneur, community builder, crypto EIR, and startup investor who's co-directed $65M in venture capital into 400 companies as a Silicon Valley VC and accelerator director for 500 Startups. He's founded and sold 2 startups at the center of impact and technology — helping the likes of Kanye West, Google, and Nike — and is now focused on building and investing in platforms centered around the climate and crypto ecosystems.

As part of this work, he's a collaborative venture capitalist and Terra ClimateTech VC Fellow, running the Cool Climate Collective syndicate, and has invested $2.1 million into 15 climate startups. [Which is now evolving into the Cool Climate Fund: coolclimate.vc]

Tristan also has a deep startup network supporting over 42 startup ecosystems, has been an EIR at Google for Startups, and is a mentor at dozens of accelerator programs, including Techstars, Katapult Climate, and Norrsken Impact.

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The whole story.

👁 Gemini Twin

You could call me an entrepreneur or founder, VC or angel investor, startup ecosystem driver and accelerator advocate, community leader and movement builder, or author and blogger.

In fact, if you like personality assessments, I’m an ENFP, a Collaborator in The Predictive Index and my DiSC is iS, which generally means I’m inclusive, humble, affirming, and like to generate enthusiasm.

🏋️‍♀️ Movement Builder

I lead projects with a community-first approach. The latest was for one of the world’s top DAOs where I scaled an NFT/crypto project to tens of thousands of collectors via viral art projects, donating over $2M dollars to nonprofits, including the largest crypto gift EVER to Save The Children. Before that, I was Head of Community for CTO.ai, a Tiger Global and Slack Fund-backed AI startup.

🦄 Real-Life Unicorn Hunter

In a past life, I was an Entrepreneur in Residence and VC for 500 Startups where I’ve led accelerator programs in San Francisco, Moscow, and Riyadh.

I’ve also supported the dreams of over 200 startups with $30M in venture capital. I’ve had multiple multi-million dollar exits and companies that have reached unicorn status.

One of my favorite portfolio companies, Backlot Cars, exited in 2020 for $425M.

You can see my startup investing on Crunchbase and join my syndicate on AngelList.

I also make investments in ClimateTech startups, including JuicyMarbles (angel), GridCure, Riide, iGrow, and others.

😻 Star ProductHunt Hunter

I’m one of the top ProductHunt hunters of all time in what matters: hunts/upvotes ratio.

I will hunt your product and give you the optimal strategy to reach 1000s of new customers.

🚀 Rocketship Flyer & Co-Pilot

In total, I’ve built, run, and supported dozens of startup accelerator programs for the likes of Google for Startups, 500 Startups, Techstars, Startup Chile, Collider Creative Startups Incubator, and Katapult Impact Accelerator helping 1000s of founders on their entrepreneurial journeys.

👐 Solution Journalist

Before my VC work, I built and sold two startups. The first, SocialEarth, was the leading source for social entrepreneurship news and won multiple awards for impact journalism before being acquired by 3BL Media in 2012.

I still keep a close eye on the intersection of impact and technology. Most recently: #ClimateTech.

🏬 Kanye West Sidekick

My second startup, Storefront, focused on urban innovation and is a marketplace for retail space that has helped the likes of Nike and Kanye West open pop-up shops.

Hailed as 'Airbnb for Retail' by The New York Times, Storefront is backed by over $10M in venture capital from leading Silicon Valley investors, hip-hop artist Nas, author Gary Vaynerchuk, and former Lady Gaga manager Troy Carter.

Storefront merged with Oui Open in 2016 to continue expansion internationally.

🏆 Top-Rated Event Speaker

My work on Storefront landed me on the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2015 and led me to give a TEDx talk on creative cities featuring a street art mural I painted.

I’ve also spoken at SXSW, San Francisco Chronicle: Changemakers Under 30, The Atlantic: New York Ideas, Lisbon Investment Summit, National Retail Federation: The Big Show, and scores of other events with audiences in the thousands.

If you’d like me to speak, judge, or be a panelist for your event, just email tap.pollock+speaks@gmail.com

✍️ Award-Winning Writer

I currently publish a business column for Entrepreneur.com and, earlier in my career, crafted the most-read BestBuy.com email of all time reaching over 23 million customers.

I’ve been published in The Guardian, VentureBeat, and the largest publication on Medium (The Startup with +756K subscribers).

I also finally started a Substack. I tweet a bit, too. Sometimes it goes viral.

🐶 Co-Author with Mom

While quarantining during COVID, I created a children’s book with my mom, dad, and my partner Dany called Stay at Home, Dog! in order to help families better cope with pandemics.

(Now in Spanish!)

📺 Future TV Star?

I tried to make a foray into TV and cameoed in NBC Universal's Bazillion Dollar Club (which only aired 1 episode 😅). That didn’t stop Dany and me from applying to The Amazing Race.

I’ve also been interviewed and featured on CNBC, FOX, Bloomberg, and NBC.

🗿 International Symbol of Mystery

I want to stay evermore curious, so I designed a MysteryBot called Shisharka Land whose true origins remain unknown.

I was also one of the first humans to IPO.

🌍 Sabbatimooner

Between 2018-2020 my soul partner in life, Dany, and I traveled to 60 different countries on a sabbatimoon around the world supporting entrepreneurs and startup ecosystems everywhere we went.

One of the most exciting parts was launching the first American accelerator in both Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Our adventures are chronicled at @WeDidThat.

🔮 Future Curious

I love to stare at the stars, tell stories by the fire, think philosophically and contemplate how the world works.

If you do too, say hello and sign up for the occasional update from me.