A recent graduate of University of Virginia, Liliana Bettolo is a corporate development analyst at Tin Shed Ventures, the corporate venturing fund of growth investor and holding company Patagonia Works. Initially, she joined as an intern after receiving her degree, and took on a full-time role in August 2018.
Phil Graves, managing director at Tin Shed Ventures and senior director of corporate development at Patagonia, said: “Liliana has a chemical engineering background and is the technical lead for Tin Shed Ventures. She helps us vet new technologies that enable Patagonia to build the best product while causing the least amount of environmental harm.”
Bettolo joined Tin Shed Ventures because of Patagonia’s mission statement – “Use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” She said she admired Patagonia for refusing to follow conventional business practices, with the belief that the market would naturally follow. She said: “I wanted to help prove that a more conscious approach to business is the future, and show that it can transform venture capital.”
Bettolo said Tin Shed Ventures’ greatest achievement was Chile-based sustainable products supplier Bureo. Although headquartered in the Chilean capital, Santiago, most of Bureo’s activities are focused on the coast. Engaging local communities such as fishermen, the company buys and recycles used fishing nets to make skateboards, sunglasses, chairs and other products.
Bettolo considers her personal success to be integrating these products into Patagonia’s product line, demonstrating that an investor can be a customer too.
