Richard Agran: Why I Joined RAC

I’m incredibly proud and humbled to share that I have joined Riverside Acceleration Capital (RAC) as its Vice President and Business Development Lead. As someone who values velocity and maximizing growth, joining RAC was a true no-brainer. From my new B2B SaaS-obsessed colleagues to the Growth Advisory Program, everything about RAC is built around not only making the right investments but also helping them thrive afterwards. In this post, I’ll take a deeper dive into why I decided to join Riverside Acceleration Capital and how it aligns with my personal values and goals.

As someone who went from being Employee #1 at a fintech startup to management consulting for some of the largest banks in the world, I’ve seen the stark differences between startups and corporate working environments. For example, at a startup you can typically make data-influenced decisions quickly and wear multiple hats when needed but can also run into logistical hurdles as you scale. In contrast, I’ve seen larger entities where coming to an agreement on a decision can be rather laborious but have more defined outcomes afterwards. Based on these experiences, I was drawn to RAC which provides a dynamic and agile atmosphere with the corporate support from The Riverside Company to scale accordingly. Simply put, RAC is able to consistently make high-velocity decisions while also relying on the infrastructure and stability that comes from Riverside.

In line with this theme of dichotomy prevalent within RAC, I was drawn by its ability to provide portfolio companies with the option of either growth loans (RAC’s flagship royalty lending program) as well as equity investments when the timing is appropriate. I look forward to being able to provide flexibility with an offering that is equipped and designed to handle a wide variety of investing scenarios. In what is certainly not a cookie-cutter market, no two companies are the same, and I appreciate the dynamic offering our team presents.

Lastly, regarding the role specifically, I was enamored with the ability to provide a data-oriented strategic approach to help drive growth in what is traditionally a relationship-driven role. While I recognize and am extremely excited to build mutually beneficial strong relationships with our portfolio companies and partners, the importance of making agile data-driven decisions cannot be understated. RAC blends these two skillsets to streamline the evaluation and due diligence process for potential portfolio companies.

In conclusion, based on my background and professional goals joining RAC was an obvious choice for me. The decision came down to three key takeaways: A startup atmosphere within a larger established firm, the flexibility of an offering that I believe in, and a role centered around growing—not just RAC but also potential portfolio companies.

If you’d like to learn more about RAC I’d recommend starting on our website or reading our blog post on the math of venture capital. Additionally, feel free to send me an email to set up a call: ragran@riverside.ac