Shawn Carolan

Shawn Carolan is a Partner at Menlo Ventures and a Board Member at Monarch Money.12 He has been serving on Monarch Money's board since November 2021.2

Professional Background

Shawn is an early-stage investor who focuses on companies serving the "utilitarian consumer" - individuals seeking better, faster, and cheaper ways to move through life.1 His investment approach led him to make early investments in companies like Roku, Uber, and Chime before they became well-known.1

Education and Career

Shawn has a strong technical background:

• Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating with highest honors1
• MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business1

His career path includes:

• Developer at Chicago startup Open Port Technology
• Manager of software architecture, where he wrote wire protocols in C++ and obtained a patent
• Joined Menlo Ventures in 2002 after completing his MBA1

Shawn has experience in investing, technology, and management consulting. He also founded and ran his own startup called Handle, giving him firsthand experience of the entrepreneurial journey.1

Current Role and Expertise

As a Partner at Menlo Ventures, Shawn:

• Focuses on consumer and fintech investments1
• Appreciates new technologies that unlock innovation and become foundations for category-building
• Occasionally ventures into cutting-edge enterprise investments1

Personal Interests

In his free time, Shawn enjoys:

• Hiking with his family
• Running with his wife, Jennifer (founder of Reach Capital)
• CrossFit
• Snowboarding
• Motorcycling1