John Smothers
Partner
I was a rower for six years and competed at the youth national level for multiple years. It’s where I get much of my competitive DNA.
John Smothers
A two-time entrepreneur who has also backed 30+ companies as an angel and institutional investor, John joined Scribble Ventures to return to his roots of partnering with founders at the earliest stages.
Prior to joining Scribble, John was an investor at Acrew Capital where he focused on investing in early and growth-stage technology companies. While at Acrew, he co-created and led the Acrew + Concrete Rose Scout Program, a superangel program and community-driven fund. Before that, John co-founded an eCommerce startup studio where he helped successfully bootstrap multiple brands. In addition to his work in the CPG industry, John co-founded Dimension Ventures, an early-stage angel fund. As an angel, he has invested in companies like Alto Pharmacy, Ant Money, Checkmate, Finix, Hologram, Noyo, Pipe, Prenda, and Sorare.
Like the entrepreneurs he backs, John is a problem solver first and foremost. He works closely with founders on early organizational design, GTM, hiring, fundraising strategy, and customer success. He has a rare specialty in hospitality, having co-founded a multi-unit restaurant development company, and believes understanding the principles of the hospitality industry can give founders a competitive edge across all facets of their business.
John graduated with a BS in Organizational and Community Leadership from the Biden School of Public Policy at the University of Delaware. He is an active member and mentor at BLCK VC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that equips Black investors with the access, education, and community they need to accelerate their careers.
A former competitive rower, John is happiest when out on the water with friends. In his free time, he can also be found at the CrossFit gym, playing the guitar, or out on the trail for a run.
I was a rower for six years and competed at the youth national level for multiple years. It’s where I get much of my competitive DNA.
John Smothers
A two-time entrepreneur who has also backed 30+ companies as an angel and institutional investor, John joined Scribble Ventures to return to his roots of partnering with founders at the earliest stages.
Prior to joining Scribble, John was an investor at Acrew Capital where he focused on investing in early and growth-stage technology companies. While at Acrew, he co-created and led the Acrew + Concrete Rose Scout Program, a superangel program and community-driven fund. Before that, John co-founded an eCommerce startup studio where he helped successfully bootstrap multiple brands. In addition to his work in the CPG industry, John co-founded Dimension Ventures, an early-stage angel fund. As an angel, he has invested in companies like Alto Pharmacy, Brew, Finix, Hologram, Maza, Noyo, Prenda, Rosebud.ai, and Sorare.
Like the entrepreneurs he backs, John is a problem solver first and foremost. He works closely with founders on early organizational design, GTM, hiring, fundraising strategy, and customer success. He has a rare specialty in hospitality, having co-founded a multi-unit restaurant development company, and believes understanding the principles of the hospitality industry can give founders a competitive edge across all facets of their business.
John graduated with a BS in Organizational and Community Leadership from the Biden School of Public Policy at the University of Delaware. He is an active member and mentor at BLCK VC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that equips Black investors with the access, education, and community they need to accelerate their careers.
A former competitive rower, John is happiest when out on the water with friends. In his free time, he can also be found at the CrossFit gym, playing the guitar, or out on the trail for a run.
Kevin is our operator in residence—an apt title because as Elizabeth’s husband, he’s truly “in residence.” Like our founders, Kevin is focused day-to-day on building a company and product (Novi, the digital currency effort within Facebook). He is an active contributor to Scribble Ventures, especially where his operational, strategic, and product/design/data background can help our portfolio companies.
