Aspect’s first employee has risen to a new rank at the female-led firm.
At the age of 23, Lauren Kolodny was named Brown University’s youngest member of the board of trustees. During her time on the board, Ms. Kolodny met Theresia Gouw, then a partner at Accel Partners.
That meeting proved to be the launching point for Ms. Kolodny’s career in venture capital. When Ms. Gouw started Aspect Ventures in 2014, Ms. Kolodny was her first hire.
On Tuesday, the firm announced Ms. Kolodny has been promoted to partner.
Ms. Kolodny will be one of four partners at the firm, including Ms. Gouw, Jennifer Fonstad and Kendra Ragatz, who serves as an operating partner. Aspect Ventures is raising a second fund with a target of $175 million, according to the firm’s June filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In the male-dominated venture industry, Aspect Ventures is one of only a handful of firms with an all-female partnership. Ms. Kolodny said there are some male members on the investing team that bring a diverse perspective, but she said it has been a privilege to work at a firm founded by women.
“I’m very aware of a lot of the dynamics in the industry,” Ms. Kolodny said. “I work in a very supportive culture in that sense.”
Ms. Kolodny’s investments as a principal have covered a broad range of sectors, from software-as-a-service companies addressing the future of work to financial services. She led or co-led Aspect’s investments in Troops, Gusto and TalkIQ.
Earlier Ms. Kolodny worked in product marketing at Google and at Cowboy Ventures. She also holds an M.B.A. and masters in sustainable design from Stanford University.