Copyright Forbes
Betsy Fore is reshaping what it means to be a venture capitalist. As one of the first Native American women to raise an all-institutional venture capital fund, the founding partner of Velveteen Ventures is proving that investing with empathy and ancestral wisdom can generate both purpose and profit. Named one of Blueprint Capital Advisors’ Power100 Asset Managers in Venture Capital, Fore’s journey from startup founder to investor reflects a shift in how capital, culture, and care can intersect. Her new book, Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams, distills her philosophy of aligning inner values with business success—what she calls finding your “Deep Inner Why.” By backing founders who build for “the next seven generations,” Velveteen Ventures shows that impact and innovation aren’t opposing forces but the same force—when driven by love, purpose, and discipline. From Founder To VC—A Journey Rooted In Purpose Fore’s career began in product design, where she learned to solve real problems through empathy and innovation. That mindset led her to found WonderWoof, a “Fitbit for dogs,” and later Tiny Organics, a baby food company built on the belief that the first bite can shape lifelong eating habits. A near-fatal car accident when she was 15 changed her outlook on life. “Anyone who's had a near-death experience knows it shapes and changes you,” she explains. “I was acutely aware at a relatively young age that I had been given another chance at life and I needed to use every day to try and make a ripple of an impact.” MORE FOR YOU That brush with mortality and, later, motherhood deepened her understanding of purpose. “Every company I built was for one of my babies,” she notes. She created WonderWoof for her terrier, Whiskey; founded Tiny Organics for her first son, Sebastian; launched Natives Rising when her son Azure was born; and closed Velveteen Ventures’ first institutional round the day her daughter Amelia arrived—a series of ventures born from love and family. Her new book, Built on Purpose, draws from these lessons, weaving neuroscience, spirituality, and entrepreneurship. Fore defines her “Deep Inner Why” as “bringing good things to life through love by fostering connection and joy, and making a tangible positive difference in the world.” She believes founders are “the ultimate manifestors—people who bring ideas into the tangible world through sheer intention, faith, and action.” Building Velveteen Ventures–Capital For The Next Seven Generations Velveteen Ventures was born from Fore’s desire to invest in founders who align business growth with long-term societal good. The firm’s name comes from The Velveteen Rabbit, the children’s story about love bringing something to life. Her grandmother, who gave her the plush rabbit from Goodwill when she was five, read the story’s iconic “What Is Real” passage at her wedding. “Velveteen is about believing that if you pour enough love, care, and attention into something, it can become real,” Fore said. “That’s what founders do every day—they believe in the magic of their ideas enough to make them real.” The fund’s investment thesis follows the Indigenous “seven-generation” principle—an ethos that asks leaders to consider how today’s actions will impact descendants seven generations into the future. Velveteen invests at the intersection of family, health, and planet, with a focus on children’s well-being and climate resilience. Fore’s partner, Carla Brollier, previously built Patagonia’s Home Planet Fund and served as an advisor on Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. Together, they are bringing an Indigenous lens to climate and impact investing, ensuring that equity and sustainability are embedded from the start. “We’ve had the privilege of working with Betsy through our engagement in the Indigenous investment space,” remarks Ann Eubank of GEM Investments, who serves on Velveteen Ventures’ Limited Partner Advisory Committee. “She sees around corners and builds with discipline, and we’re proud to back Velveteen Ventures as they build for the next seven generations.” Institutional Trust In Inclusive Capital Raising an all-institutional round as a Native woman was no small feat. Fore faced the typical headwinds of first-time fund managers—compounded by the lack of representation for Indigenous and women investors in venture capital. “Betsy Fore is a truly inspiring Native venture capitalist,” said Jacob Walthour, CEO of Blueprint Capital Advisors. “Driven by her deep appreciation of her history and ancestral wisdom—she is proving that purpose and perseverance can turn the most impossible odds into an unstoppable force.” Walthour’s firm recognized Fore as one of its Power100 Asset Managers in Venture Capital, an acknowledgment that signals growing respect for underrepresented fund leaders who are broadening the definition of what success in venture looks like. Velveteen’s backers include family offices, mission-driven funds, and institutional investors interested in long-term impact. Fore and her funders want to see more Native and women-led funds working together to reshape venture capital—and to make sure our communities are at the table, not just on the pitch deck. Investing With Empathy—Founders As Manifestors Fore’s investment style blends intuition with operational rigor. Her background as a founder gives her credibility and empathy with entrepreneurs navigating the uncertainty of early-stage growth. “I look for that authentic, unshakeable sense of purpose that guides every decision,” she shares. “A founder who has discovered their Deep Inner Why operates from genuine conviction.” “Betsy is the kind of investor you want in your corner—a former operator who understands the grind, leads with empathy, and shows up with strategic clarity. Velveteen brings conviction and heart in equal measure,” observes Shraysi Tandon, founder and CEO of Kidsy, a Velveteen Ventures portfolio company, “I can't wait to gift Betsy's book to my founder networks!” Fore’s belief in what she calls “manifesting with discipline” challenges the false divide between intuition and business analytics. In Built on Purpose, she connects manifesting to neuroscience, showing how intention can rewire neural pathways linked to confidence and motivation. “When we visualize success with emotion,” she emphasizes, “we’re activating the brain’s circuits for focus and resilience. [Velveteen Ventures] invests in founders who do that—who lead with heart and strategy, purpose and performance.” The Future Is Built On Purpose Fore’s work sits at the intersection of cultural revival and financial innovation. By combining Indigenous values with modern finance, she is modeling a new kind of venture capital—one that measures success not just in multiples, but in meaning. She often frames her mission in generational terms. “We’re building for children and the planet—for the next seven generations,” she reflects. “If that’s not the deepest kind of ROI, I don’t know what is.” Her story also reflects a broader shift in entrepreneurship, as more founders and investors—especially women, Native Americans, and people of color—seek to align profit with purpose. As the business world catches up to that vision, Betsy Fore and Velveteen Ventures are already living it. Fore believes every founder’s story gains power through purpose. Her journey reflects a broader movement of Native American women redefining leadership, investment, and impact—showing that when purpose drives profit, whole communities rise.
