Photo of Lauri Moore, Partner

Lauri Moore

Partner
Redwood City, San Francisco

Biography

Lauri Moore is a Partner at Bessemer’s Silicon Valley office, where she focuses on early-stage opportunities in data, AI, developer tools, and related infrastructure. With a unique background spanning research, data science, product management, and investing, Lauri is a passionate ally and coach for entrepreneurs, collaborating with them to tackle the inevitable challenges of company building.

Before joining Bessemer, Lauri was a Partner at Foundation Capital. She also co-founded a company that automated top-of-funnel screening using voice AI, leveraging one of the earliest (and ultimately not good enough) externalized BERT models in 2018. Lauri has held product leadership roles at LinkedIn and worked in data science and product across several startups. Her career began at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the Research & Statistics Group, although her first job was as a figure skating coach.

Lauri graduated from Columbia College, Columbia University, where she studied Mathematics, Economics, and History. She also holds an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, where she was an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow.

Lauri lives in the Bay Area with her husband, three young children, and their big, hairy dog.

Getting to know Lauri

 

baby in Stanford Graduate School of Business onesie and hat

An early passion for accessibility

Lauri’s childhood was influenced by her nanny, Linda. From attending figure skating competitions to helping with homework sessions, Linda’s can-do attitude instilled a powerful belief that with the right mindset and tools, nearly anything is achievable. Her close relationship with Linda, who is blind, ignited Lauri’s passion for product accessibility and technology that creates a more inclusive world.

From builder to VC

In 2018 — midway through business school —Lauri co-founded a voice AI company, launching a startup all while raising her toddler and six-week old baby. The company leveraged the initial BERT model to automate the top-of-funnel screening processes for high volume roles – and experienced first hand the challenges with V0 of what would become an industry transforming technology. This experience, combined with her roles working in product and data science at multiple startups, has given Lauri an appreciation for both the nuances of market timing and the unique power some founders have to shape the world to their vision. Now at Bessemer Venture Partners, she focuses on early-stage investments in data infrastructure and developer tools.

large group sitting around a dinner table
Lauri at an AI X Software Engineering founder dinner

Finding your why

Lauri believes people are driven by purpose and do their best work when they are operating in alignment with their personal values. She digs deep to uncover what motivates founders and their individual “why.” As a thoughtful partner and coach, Lauri asks questions to understand founders’ sense of purpose and not just their company’s mission, but their own. This process enables Lauri to help founders harness their personal passion – and stay focused – when times inevitably get tough.

girl doing a puzzle at the table

A love for puzzling

Puzzling is a favorite hobby – shared between Lauri, her oldest daughter and mother-in-law. Lauri is fascinated by how differently each of them tend to approach the puzzle – making the work faster and more interesting than any of them could have done solo. Quietly and collaboratively piecing together a 1000-piece puzzle by the fire provides a sense of calm and connection. It’s become a special tradition for the trio, creating a space for quiet moments and meaningful conversations.

From figure skater to coach 

Growing up in Champaign-Urbana Illinois, Lauri started figure skating when she was 2 years-old. She competed on the juniors circuit until she had a career-ending injury shortly before college. She is no stranger to early-mornings, long hours and improbable odds of success. Two surgeries later, Lauri rekindled her passion for the sport as a coach in college for Figure Skating in Harlem . The transition from athlete to coach helped Lauri learn how much she enjoys being an enabler of others’ success. Today Lauri most loves serving as a coach to early-stage founders.

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