Colette Ballou

I am an entrepreneur, former angel investor and limited partner. Years ago, I started Ballou, a European communications and strategy agency that works with high-growth technology and technology-enabled companies, as well as technology investors. As Ballou is at the meeting point of business and media, we’ve been early adopters of leading technologies and monitored their development. Ballou’s success has allowed me to invest in start-ups and venture capital firms, and has also given me exposure to thousands of different business models, so that I know what works, what doesn’t, and what to watch for. Along with my colleagues, I forecast trends, understand and examine human behaviour, and use these insights to position businesses for high growth. Companies I’ve worked with include 83 North, Accel Partners, Box, Criteo, Eventbrite, Facebook, GoEuro, (now Omio), Lakestar, Pinterest, Stack Overflow, Stripe, TransferWise, Twilio, Waze, WhatsApp and Zendesk. I advise and mentor CEO and often speak about topics I care very much about; the importance of reputation, strong and warm corporate culture, and the responsibilities of investors, be they angels or limited partners. I am an investor in VC funds including Cavalry Ventures and Connect Ventures.