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Christopher Day is the visionary leader behind Elevate Ventures, one of the most active early- and seed-stage venture capital firms in the United States. An entrepreneur who has co-founded eight businesses with multiple exits to Fortune 500 companies, he strives for Indiana to become a global leader in innovation. With experience leading companies in sectors as varied as artificial intelligence, broadband, SaaS, entertainment, investment banking and real estate, he focuses on connecting disparate stakeholders statewide to accelerate entrepreneurialism and investment. He joined Elevate Ventures in 2022.
First job and what it taught you
Detasseling corn. Think ahead, do it right the first time, or things around you will not be as productive.
Job swap
governor
Favorite thing about being a leader
Being able to clear a path for those that want to advance and grow as fast as their skill set and passion enables.
Something surprising
I grew up without a TV but was in the movie “Hoosiers”—for about 3 seconds.
Admires most
Doug Moore, CEO of RT Moore. Because he has grown an incredible business without any outside investment capital while giving back to society every step of the way. He is authentic, genuine, open-minded, has integrity, manages by fact and doesn’t seek the spotlight.
Favorite device
Lame answer here—iPhone. Because it provides instant connectivity to information.
Toughest challenge overcome
Being abused as a child. Almost going bankrupt with one of my companies in my 20s.
Leadership lessons
Manage by fact. Seek first to understand rather than be understood. Be a self-starter. Be curious. Seek out information and inform a thesis before assuming you know the answer. Think three steps ahead. Anticipate what could go wrong and be willing to change and adjust on the fly. Deliver solutions rather than pointing out problems. Treat everyone as your customer.
Favorite sports team
Purdue basketball
Sabbatical topic
Building housing or wells in other countries.
Favorite thing about Indiana
People are genuinely nice and want to help one another.
Favorite civic contribution
Funding kids, that don’t typically have the opportunity, to go to the theater.•
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