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Katarina Throssell is a Senior Investment Associate at Giant Leap, an Australian venture capital fund investing in mission-driven companies tackling global challenges in climate, health, empowerment, and education.

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Katarina brings a rich background in commercial litigation, policy work, and the non-profit sector, allowing her to navigate the complexities of impact investing with a unique perspective. Her journey has spanned roles in litigation, climate policy initiatives, and not-for-profit leadership, reflecting her commitment to creating positive change. At Giant Leap, she’s inspired daily by mission-driven founders and is passionate about scaling solutions that can make a real-world impact on urgent issues.

Q1.

Could you tell me about your job and your day-to-day responsibilities?

I'm a Senior Investment Associate at Giant Leap, an Australian venture capital (VC) fund investing in mission driven founders solving the world's most pressing problems across climate, health and people.

No two days are the same in VC! My role revolves around four main areas: sourcing opportunities (meeting founders and investors), making investments (including due diligence), managing our portfolio (supporting the companies we’ve invested in), and overseeing the fund itself (reporting to investors and regulators).

I spend a lot of time meeting with founders—my favourite part of the job! It’s inspiring to collaborate with passionate people who are working on solutions to the biggest challenges of our time. 

Q2.

What advice would you give young women in university at the start of their careers?

Keep an open mind and treat your career as an experiment! I studied Law, International Relations, and a Diploma of Languages at the Australian National University, but my career has evolved significantly since then. I've worked as a paralegal and a policy officer, then as a litigation lawyer, before pivoting to VC in 2023. I'm now focused on tech solutions in climate, health, and education, which I absolutely love, but would not have picked for myself 5 years ago.

You never know where your journey will take you, so try out different subjects, internships, and jobs. Very few career decisions are permanent—you can always change and be open to finding something that's even better than your original plan. 

Q3.

What initially attracted you to venture capital, and what do you find most exciting about working in this field?

I’ve always been driven by positive impact on people and planet. After starting out as a lawyer, I realized VC was the best place for me to make a large-scale difference by helping solutions grow quickly. For me, investing in scalable solutions is critical—especially in areas like climate, where we have absolutely no time to lose. The most exciting part is seeing those solutions go from concept to reality and knowing they can have a real impact on the world.

Q4.

What skills and experiences do you believe are essential for someone pursuing a career in impact investing and venture capital?

VCs come from all different kinds of backgrounds and experiences, but the non-negotiables are: 

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  • Problem-solving and deep analytical thinking skills: You need to be able to dissect an idea and ask tough questions to figure out whether it’s truly viable.

  • Technical knowledge: This can come from studying finance, or from learning on the job (again, I studied law, languages and humanities!). A good grasp of financial models and how to approach thinking about markets is crucial. 

  • People skills: In VC, you're investing in people even more than in the idea or the tech. You’ll be constantly meeting with founders and other investors, with the goal of building genuine and long-lasting relationships - caring about people and backing them and their mission is vital. 

  • Endless curiosity: The learning never stops! You'll be learning about a new industry or tech solution every single day, and you'll never be the smartest person in the room, given how many different experts you'll be working with. If this is something that excites you, VC is a great place to be. 

Q5.

What is one change that you would like to see for women in your field?

I'd love to see both more young women in VC generally, and women being promoted into senior decision-making and partner roles! This is essential for closing the VC gender investment gap (you can read more here)

15.11.2024

If you have any questions for Katarina Throssell, please:

1. Leave a comment under our Woman of the Week FB post, or

2. Email us at wcp.unimelb@gmail.com

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