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Shawn Merani
Founder and Managing Partner at Parade Ventures; Faculty at UC Berkeley
Shawn Merani is a prominent figure in the venture capital industry and a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business. Here's a comprehensive overview of his background and accomplishments:
Professional Career
Shawn Merani is the Founder and Managing Partner of Parade Ventures, a pre-seed and seed stage-focused venture capital firm.12 Prior to this, he was a co-founder and partner at Flight Ventures, where he invested in early-stage software, internet, and mobile companies across various sectors.1
Investment Experience
Merani has a successful track record in venture capital investments. Some of his notable investments include:
- Dollar Shave Club (acquired by Unilever)
- Sapho (acquired by Citrix)
- Moveworks
- Side
- Trusted
- Tonal
- Plastiq12
Operational Experience
As an operator, Merani was a founding partner of Liquidnet's Private Shares marketplace. He successfully grew this marketplace to over $150 million in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) within the first two years.12 Before his role at Liquidnet, Merani served as Senior Director of Business Development at ReachLocal.1
Academic Background
Shawn Merani holds multiple degrees:
- BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley
- BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley
- MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management12
Teaching at UC Berkeley
Merani has been a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business since 2013.1 He teaches New Venture Finance (MBA236V-1) and is known for his expertise in venture capital, entrepreneurship, technology, and finance.1
Personal Interests
Outside of his professional life, Merani enjoys:
- Spending time with his family
- Riding his Peloton
- Participating in fantasy sports
- Supporting the Cal Bears2
Shawn Merani is active on social media platforms, including LinkedIn (username: smerani) and Twitter (@smerani).34 He frequently expresses gratitude for the opportunity to give back to UC Berkeley and the Haas School of Business through his teaching role.35
