# Kirsten Green

> Kirsten Green is the founder and managing partner of Forerunner Ventures, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm with nearly $3 billion in AUM that made early bets on Dollar Shave Club, Warby Parker, Glossier, Bonobos, and Chime. A former equity research analyst who walked mall parking lots every Friday counting shopping bags, Green built Forerunner over a decade of SPV investments before raising her first institutional fund in 2012. Her consumer-first thesis - that following where people spend their time and money reveals where the economy is heading - has made her one of the most recognized venture investors in the world, appearing on the Forbes Midas List and Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women consecutively since 2017.

- **Role:** Founder and Managing Partner at Forerunner Ventures
- **Organizations:** Forerunner Ventures, All Raise, Nordstrom (Board Member)
- **From:** San Francisco Bay Area, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in Business Economics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), AICPA, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CFA Institute
- **Known for:** Founded Forerunner Ventures, growing it from a $41.7M fund to nearly $3B AUM in 14 years, Made seed investment in Dollar Shave Club at ~$4.5M valuation; exited at $1B (Unilever acquisition), Early investor in Warby Parker, Glossier, Bonobos, Chime, Oura Ring, Jet.com, Away, and others

## Career timeline

- **1993** — Graduated UCLA with B.A. in Business Economics
- **1993-1996** — Senior Accountant at Deloitte & Touche, retail practice
- **1996-1998** — Worked at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ)
- **1998-2003** — Equity research analyst (retail sector) at Montgomery Securities / Banc of America Securities, VP level
- **2002** — Decided to transition into venture capital investing
- **2006-2010** — Structured seven SPV investments ranging from $1.25M to $10M, building shadow portfolio
- **2008** — Lost ~$10M SPV investment in Nau apparel during financial crisis - formative failure
- **2010** — Raised $5M angel fund with anchor investor
- **2012** — Founded Forerunner Ventures; closed Fund I at $41.7M; made first VC investment in Dollar Shave Club
- **2016** — Dollar Shave Club acquired by Unilever for $1 billion cash; Jet.com acquired by Walmart for $3.3B
- **2017** — Bonobos acquired by Walmart for $310M; named to Forbes Midas List and World's 100 Most Powerful Women for first time
- **2017** — Named to TIME 100 Most Influential People
- **2019** — Appointed to Nordstrom Board of Directors (February)
- **2019** — Co-founded All Raise, the women-in-venture mentorship collective
- **2021** — Warby Parker IPO on NYSE; Hims & Hers SPAC at $1.6B valuation
- **2022** — Closed Forerunner Fund VI at $1 billion - one of the largest ever by a female-founded VC
- **2024** — Closed Fund VII at $500M focused on AI and consumer investing
- **2025** — Launched personal Substack newsletter; Chime IPO on NASDAQ at $8.97B market cap
- **2025** — Forerunner makes 24 investments including AI-native companies

## Achievements

- Founded Forerunner Ventures, growing it from a $41.7M fund to nearly $3B AUM in 14 years
- Made seed investment in Dollar Shave Club at ~$4.5M valuation; exited at $1B (Unilever acquisition)
- Early investor in Warby Parker, Glossier, Bonobos, Chime, Oura Ring, Jet.com, Away, and others
- 8 unicorns, 5 IPOs, and 47 acquisitions across Forerunner's portfolio
- Forbes Midas List recognition 2017-2024 (consecutive)
- Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women 2017-2024 (consecutive)
- TIME 100 Most Influential People (2017)
- TechCrunch Crunchies VC of the Year (2017)
- Appointed to Nordstrom Board of Directors (2019)
- Co-founded All Raise, expanding women's access to venture capital
- Raised $1B Fund VI in 2022, one of the largest ever by a female-founded VC firm
- Approximately 40% of Forerunner's portfolio companies are women-led

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Forerunner makes 6 investments in early 2026, including DepthFirst and follow-on in prediction markets platform Novig
- **2025-12** — Chime lists on NASDAQ at $8.97B market cap with a 37% first-day pop, one of Forerunner's largest exits
- **2025-04** — TechCrunch profiles Forerunner's 'long game' strategy as portfolio companies navigate pre-IPO environment
- **2025-01** — Green launches personal Substack newsletter covering investing, startups, and personal growth
- **2024-11** — Forerunner closes Fund VII at $500M focused on AI and consumer investing, bringing total AUM to nearly $3B
- **2024-01** — Green recognized again on Forbes Midas List and Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women

## Links

- Website: https://forerunnerventures.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstengreen
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/kirstenagreen
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstengreen/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kirsten-green
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-05