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Alex, Managing Partner at LoveMore Group: Advize Career Interview
A UC Berkeley mathematics and music graduate, Alex, Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, shares a fascinating career journey fueled by a philosophical pursuit of truth.
The creation of a dialogue-focused nonprofit, followed by an MBA from UCLA and a focus on impact investing, led to a leadership role in sustainable real estate and their current position.
Alex describes a dynamic role involving significant travel, networking with passionate entrepreneurs and fund managers, and developing an impact investing framework for a family office.
Success, Alex emphasizes, requires excellent communication, emotional intelligence, and brutal honesty, alongside a deep dive into companies and industries.
The most rewarding aspect is the efficient allocation of capital to create value for people, plants, and ecosystems.
Entry into the field is unconventional, suggesting internships and entrepreneurial pursuits to build unique perspectives and strategic networks.
Alex's holistic approach, integrating spirituality with business, showcases a path to career success through pursuing passions, maintaining a balanced life, and embracing activities that generate energy.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Alex Cramer
Managing Partner
LoveMore Group
UC Berkeley, 2015
UCLA Anderson School of Management (MBA)
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Strategic Management and Executive
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Career Path of a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group
Alex's career path began with a mathematics major and a music minor at UC Berkeley, driven by a philosophical pursuit of truth and leading to the creation of "thought Lounge," a dialogue-focused nonprofit that expanded to 14 campuses. This experience, combined with an MBA from UCLA and a focus on impact investing, propelled Alex into a leadership role in sustainable real estate and eventually to the current position as Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, where they utilize business "as a tool" to optimize for multiple values beyond profit.
Main Responsibilities Of A Managing Partner At LoveMore Group
Alex, Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, describes their role as establishing an impact investing framework for a family office, "overlaying impact as a lens over all investments," requiring "understanding what values and goals the family shared" and aligning them with financial returns. This involved developing a pipeline of impact investments, acting as a filter for "impact unicorns," and fostering a collaborative relationship with portfolio companies, ensuring mutual alignment of goals.
A Day in the Life of a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group
Alex, a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, describes a dynamic role, spending "at least 50% of the time...on the road," attending conferences, meeting entrepreneurs and fund managers, and reviewing investment memos. This involves constant communication and prioritization of tasks, such as refining "impact criteria and operational strategy," alongside networking and due diligence.
Most Important Skills For A Managing Partner At LoveMore Group
For a managing partner role, excellent communication and emotional intelligence are paramount, allowing for translation of "emotional cues into real actionable criteria," even more so than deep financial expertise alone. Prior entrepreneurial experience, while not essential, provides valuable context for assessing the long-term viability of investments and understanding the challenges of "birthing a new company or even birthing a fund."
Favorite Parts Of Being A Managing Partner At LoveMore Group
Alex, Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, most enjoys "meeting different people," including fund managers and entrepreneurs, describing them as "passionate people" with inspiring ideas. This involves significant travel—to locations such as the Bahamas and Cartagena—allowing Alex to contribute their experience to the journeys of these individuals and their ventures.
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group
Alex, a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, identifies the biggest challenges in impact investing as intense workload and prioritization, requiring "very good...time management" and clear communication to avoid wasting time. The ability to navigate "creative conflict" and approach challenges with honesty, even if difficult, is highlighted as crucial for success and a key opportunity for growth, ultimately benefiting the portfolio.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Investment Industry As A Managing Partner
Alex, Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, finds the most rewarding aspect of the investment industry to be "the efficient allocation of capital as a kind of energy movement," seeing it as a way to find "harmony and synergy" between various forms of capital to create value and ultimately help "people, plants, animals, and ecosystems." This collaborative approach, Alex believes, fosters sustainable growth far exceeding any zero-sum mentality.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Investing Industry According To A Managing Partner At LoveMore Group
Alex, a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, highlights the industry's need for "a huge diversity of people," emphasizing that successful investors leverage connections and learn "who to trust," particularly when directly investing in startups. This diverse approach, coupled with an authentic motivation stemming from a desire to solve societal problems, is crucial for navigating the demanding workload.
What A Managing Partner At LoveMore Group Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Investment Industry
Alex, a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, learned the importance of "brutal honesty" in communication, emphasizing that time is best spent on fully truthful assessments rather than appeasement. The most effective professionals in this role also dedicate time to deep dives into companies, industries, and even new cultures to build strong relationships and develop insightful investment theses beyond superficial interactions.
Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Managing Partners
Alex, a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, advises that entry-level impact investing roles are scarce, suggesting a less conventional approach: gaining relevant experience through internships or even entrepreneurial pursuits to develop a unique perspective, because "the way to get that role isn't necessarily to go through the front door," and networking strategically to build connections within the field is key.
Significant Career Lesson From a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group
Alex, a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, emphasizes the career lesson of pursuing activities that generate energy, stating "you really need to do what gives you energy," as this sustains through challenging times. The path to purpose is less about finding the "exact right thing" and more about consistent forward momentum, even if it means occasional missteps.
College Experiences That Helped A Managing Partner At LoveMore Group Succeed
Alex, a Managing Partner at LoveMore Group, credits their undergraduate experience at UC Berkeley for their career success, explaining that "each thing that I was doing was recharging me". This involved rigorous study in mathematics alongside diverse extracurricular activities, demonstrating the importance of pursuing passions while maintaining a balanced life and learning "what it meant just to like go for something".
How Identity Influenced a Managing Partner's Career at LoveMore Group
Alex's spiritual identity, a "greater touch with...the universe," significantly shapes their career, influencing actions from mindful email management to founding a wellness club during MBA studies and incorporating this practice into a startup, the Thought Lounge. This holistic approach emphasizes "absorptive capacity" and emotional vulnerability to foster deep relationships and identify opportunities, demonstrating a unique integration of spirituality and business.
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