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Justin Burris
Managing Partner at Portrait Capital
Professional Background
Justin Burris is a respected investment professional with a wealth of experience in various financial sectors, ranging from investment banking to venture capital. Throughout his career, he has held key positions at several notable firms, showcasing his talent and dedication in the finance industry. Not only has Justin excelled in traditional investment practices, but he has also ventured into the world of semi-professional Minesweeper, demonstrating his diverse skill set and analytical mindset.
Career Trajectory
Justin began his professional journey in investment banking, where he honed his analytical abilities and gained invaluable industry knowledge. Working with prestigious firms like Rothschild and Greenhill & Co., he was involved in significant transactions and gained a reputation for his meticulous attention to detail and strategic insights. His experience in investment banking established a solid foundation for his transition into venture capital.
After his tenure at Rothschild and Greenhill & Co., Justin expanded his career into the venture capital sphere by working with NYC Seed, a firm known for supporting early-stage startups. This role allowed him to leverage his analytical skills in a new context, focusing on emerging businesses with high growth potential. During this period, he not only invested in innovative companies but also provided strategic advice and mentorship to entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the complexities of building successful ventures.
Building on his extensive background in finance, Justin later took on the role of Vice President at BDT & Company, LLC. In this capacity, he was involved in advising clients on critical financial decisions and transactions, bringing insights from his varied investment experiences to the table. His strategic thinking and ability to analyze market trends have made him a trusted advisor to a range of clients.
Most recently, Justin served as the Managing Partner at Portrait Capital, where he was responsible for overseeing the firm’s investment strategies and portfolio management. Under his leadership, Portrait Capital thrived as a dynamic investment entity, seeking opportunities in diverse markets and maintaining a client-focused approach to capital growth.
Education and Achievements
Justin Burris is an alumnus of Dartmouth College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Government. His education provided a strong foundation in analytical thinking and critical evaluation, skills that are essential in the world of investment. Prior to Dartmouth, he attended the Horace Mann School, an academic institution known for its rigorous curriculum and commitment to excellence, where he developed his passion for analytical reasoning and strategic decision-making that would later translate well into his career in finance.
Throughout his career, Justin has amassed numerous achievements that highlight his skills and contributions to the investment field. His extensive experience across different roles and firms not only reflects his versatility but also his commitment to constant growth and learning in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.
Notable Contributions and Initiatives
As an investment professional, Justin has made significant contributions to the firms he has worked with, particularly in terms of enhancing investment strategies and improving client relationships. His results-oriented approach, combined with his ability to analyze complex financial scenarios, has driven successful outcomes in numerous investment endeavors. His background in government studies also informs his perspective on regulatory issues in finance, allowing him to navigate compliance landscapes effectively.
Justin’s involvement in supporting early-stage ventures reflects his belief in innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit. This dedication to nurturing new ideas and helping startups thrive underscores his commitment to not only financial success but also to contributing positively to the business ecosystem. Justin's work continues to inspire those around him, fostering a culture of collaboration and growth.
Hobbies and Interests
Outside of his professional life, Justin Burris is a semi-professional Minesweeper player, showcasing a unique blend of leisure and strategic gameplay. This hobby not only serves as a form of relaxation but also represents his analytical nature, where he applies his problem-solving skills to achieve mastery in a game renowned for its complexity. Justin's engagement with Minesweeper highlights his ability to approach challenges with both focus and creativity, attributes that serve him well in his investment activities.
He maintains a personal website, justinburris.com, where he shares insights and reflections that further illustrate his interests and expertise. As Justin continues to evolve in his career, he remains passionate about both personal development and the advancement of the investment industry.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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