Robert Hatta - Partner @ Drive Capital

Is the future of venture capital in Ohio? And what does being a wrestler have to do with building a high-performance career in tech? The answer to those questions and more on this episode. Today my guest is Robert Hatta, the Talent Partner at Drive Capital, where he helps portfolio companies build amazing teams.

Drive Capital is a venture firm based in Columbus, Ohio that's focused on helping entrepreneurs who want to build world class technology companies. Drive was started in 2013 by two former Sequoia Partners who believed the next billion dollar companies would be created outside of Silicon Valley.

Prior to joining Drive, Robert was the VP of Talent for JumpStart Ventures, helping to place hundreds of hires into early-stage startups at all levels. He also held senior leadership roles within technology companies at all stages of growth, including Apple, Netflix, Virgin Mobile and Tackk.

But this interview is as much about wrestling as it is about tech. Robert comes from a long line of world-class wrestlers. His father and uncle both won NCCA championships at Oklahoma State and his father coached numerous Olympic teams. Robert’s experiences on the mat as a child and later at Stanford helped forge his work ethic and created the foundation for his career. You can follow him on twitter @robert_hatta and you can find Drive at www.drivecapital.com.

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