Prior to Elevate Ventures, Makenzie invested in early-stage life science and agriculture companies at Purdue Ventures and BioGenerator Ventures. Her transition to venture capital followed a career in academia conducting advanced research in pain neurocircuitry and pharmaceutical development. Her multifaceted background allows her to champion the innovations that solve real-world problems and drive growth.
We are in what we've coined The Great Tilt: a period where productivity gains are accelerating faster than society's ability to absorb them. Technology is compounding quickly, but institutions, skills, and personal certainty lag behind. Output rises, metrics look strong, yet consumer sentiment sits below the hard data.
At Elevate’s Storytelling Workshop, Mariah Ivy reframed storytelling as strategy, urging founders to anchor their narrative in urgency, substance, and measurable impact.
At Elevate’s Storytelling Workshop, Innovatemap showed founders how to clarify their pitch, define the buyer, and lead with traction. In today’s market, storytelling drives growth.