Things to note
I take a cooking class whenever I visit a city for the first time. Chiang Mai, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney... It’s like a souvenir that I can share with friends when I get home. I also collect cook books.
I own 9 LeBron James jerseys. I grew up in Northeast Ohio and watched Lebron play in high school, so I started collecting them as soon as I could.
My favorite TV show is Nathan For You. Coincidentally, I discovered my father-in-law is an extra on the show after I was already obsessed with it.
Writing my first check as an angel investor. I dipped into the small amount of savings that I had and it completely changed my life.
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Brianne Kimmel
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Brianne Kimmel is a Ukrainian-American venture capitalist, published author, expert on the future of work, and philanthropist.
Kimmel is one of the angel investors and operators who started their own funds during 2020’s rise of solo general partners.
Kimmel is the founder and managing director of Worklife, a future-of-work focused venture capital firm.
In its first two years in business, Worklife has backed 9 unicorns including Webflow, Tonal, Hopin, Clubhouse, Public, Deel, and Pipe.
At the forefront of Worklife’s narrative is the idea that anyone can start a business, creative project, or other endeavor.
“I started Worklife to reimagine work alongside thoughtful founders, building new opportunities for every creator, designer, developer and individual who uses the tech we've backed. Prior to starting the firm, I was an angel investor on evenings and weekends.
I write high conviction checks in early stage companies & build systematic programs to help technical founders with go-to-market. If you're actively raising, I make investment decisions in 24-48 hours.”
I live in LA with my partner Jian-Yang, otherwise known as Jimmy O. Yang (@funnyasiandude), but bounce between San Francisco, New York, and Miami often.
Favorite Places and Local Businesses
- Oxford Art Factory, Sydney. I lived in Sydney for over four years and this is one of my favorite music venues. It’s also the only bar that sells Foster’s, which isn’t really Australian for beer... it's truly American.
- Guantanamera Cafe and Lounge, Miami. It’s a fun, low-key place to dance and drink mojitos.
- Rose Bowl Flea Market, LA. Some of my favorite boutiques in Tokyo source vintage concert tees and old Levi’s from here. If you want to find good stuff, you have to show up early, it gets really competitive.
- Luis Barragán Stable, Mexico City. I love Mexico City for its architecture Barragán’s stable is one of the most relaxing and fun day trips.
- Avenue 26 Night Market, Pico Rivera (LA). My boyfriend discovered this place on Foos Gone Wild and it’s the most fun night with ranchero music, a mechanical bull, and Chocolatè Uno (he’s pretty famous on Instagram).
- Villa Mahabhirom, Chiang Mai. One of the most architecturally significant properties I’ve ever stayed at... I also shot a rap video here, which serves as the beginning and end of my career in hip hop.
What moment in your career are you the proudest of?
Writing my first check as an angel investor. I dipped into the small amount of savings that I had and it completely changed my life.
What trends are you most excited about right now?
When I started Worklife, I had a theory that remote work would bring back neighborhoods.
Today, we see neighbors teaming up to start a small business together, hobbies like bowling leagues are making a big comeback, parents are home for dinner every night and neighborhood kids are paying outside.
We see a lot of tech companies accelerating this trend even further. Everything from affordable homeownership, homeschooling and daycares, tools to finance and build a small business.
I’m inspired by technology that makes The American Dream possible, not just technology for other tech people or tech companies.
What founder inspires you the most?
Deel co-founder and CRO Shuo Wang.
In the early days of Deel, Shuo really fought for a voice at the table.
I would run into Shuo at least once a week at a future of work dinner or around town recruiting, fundraising, around the clock hustling to get Deel off the ground. I don’t know how she found time to sleep, maybe she didn’t!
Fast forward to 2020, Deel went from $4M to $50M+ ARR, 50 to 550+ people in 60+ countries & we raised over $600M.
This is insane growth led by an immigrant female CRO who graduated from MIT and hobbies include designing small wearable electronics and exoskeletons and winning Tough Mudder competitions.
I’m grateful to be an investor in Deel because I would never compete against Shuo, startup related or army crawling through cold, wet mud.
How do you make your worklife better?
The thing I love more about remote work is the ability to show up as your whole self at work. No more suits, no more corporate jargon... It’s cool to see where someone lives, meet their dog that’s sitting on their lap, and hear kids playing in the background. That’s real life, and I love it.
I like having something to look forward to after work. I prefer entertaining vs. going out and love designing fun experiences for friends.
I turned my shed into a tiki bar and built a karaoke room in my basement. Quirky stuff like that.
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