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Mario Ruiz
Co-Founder and Managing Partner | Kauffman Fellow
Mario Ruiz is a prominent venture capitalist and entrepreneur, currently serving as the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Infinity Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on fintech infrastructure and commerce enablement. He co-founded Infinity Ventures in May 2021, leveraging his extensive experience in the financial technology sector to invest in innovative companies that enhance commerce capabilities.2
Background and Education
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Mario has a strong academic foundation. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Baruch College and later obtained his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Yale School of Management. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident early on; he started a sneaker reselling business in middle school, which helped fund his college education.3
Professional Experience
Before founding Infinity Ventures, Mario held several key positions:
- Principal at PayPal Ventures (2019-2021): At PayPal, he led investments in fintech innovations and conceptualized the Economic Opportunity Fund, which invested in 19 Black and Latinx venture capital fund managers.2
- Managing Partner at Dorm Room Fund (2017-2019): A student-run venture capital firm where he co-founded a mentorship program for aspiring underrepresented founders.
- Growth Equity Investor at Napier Park Global Capital (2013-2017): Focused on growth investments in financial technology.3
- Investment Banking Analyst & Associate at Barclays (2010-2013): Specialized in mergers and acquisitions within the financial institutions group.
Advocacy and Impact
Mario is a vocal advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within venture capital. He has actively worked to support underrepresented communities through various initiatives, including leading PayPal's investments into diverse fund managers and co-founding programs aimed at mentoring BIPOC founders.3 He is also a member of the Kauffman Fellows Program, which focuses on leadership development for venture capitalists and is part of Class 27 of this prestigious program.13
In summary, Mario Ruiz combines his extensive experience in finance with a commitment to fostering diversity in entrepreneurship, making him a significant figure in the venture capital industry today.
Highlights
We at Infinity Ventures are excited to announce our recent investment in Canopy! Matt Bivons and his team are building something special, starting with their culture and leadership.
We continue to believe in and see an enormous opportunity in fintech infrastructure and Canopy's progress and traction demonstrate a growing demand for modern commercial loan management and servicing infrastructure.
We're also excited to join this cap table with our friends at Foundation Capital, Canaan, and Homebrew.
cc: Jeremy Jonker, Jay Ganatra, Levi K., Dan Kenerson, Samantha Klingelhofer
#startups #fintech #servicing #vcfunding
https://lnkd.in/gSwdpvYc
