The way consumers want to engage with their money and plan for their financial future is changing. Through Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, we look for partners who are developing tools and platforms to help us deliver the experience clients need, want and deserve; who are shaping the future of health and wellness; and who are bringing new technologies and enhanced analytics to market.
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We're committed to being a catalyst for business growth in our home town. Cream City Venture Capital is dedicated to investing solely in startups based in southeast Wisconsin. Beyond capital, Cream City Venture Capital portfolio companies get access to our network of mentors and state-of-the-art co-working space. We look to partner with companies that are leveraging technology to address challenges across any industry.
Learn MoreWe support and drive growth with value-add platform services, connecting our portfolio companies to resources within and outside of Northwestern Mutual. By accelerating learning and connecting to experts, we can help founders quickly overcome growth challenges and increase the likelihood of their startup’s success.
Female-founded startups receive less than three percent of the approximately $80 billion in venture capital annually, and Black founders receive less than one percent. As part of our ongoing commitment to women and diversity, we’ve dedicated a total of $40 million to investing in startup companies founded by women and Black entrepreneurs. This funding allocation will advance the company’s investment strategy of engaging startups whose technologies have the potential to transform how clients experience financial security, as well as increase focus on technological disruption. The investment criteria align with NM Future Ventures' key strategic areas of focus.
Chief Commercial Officer and President, Investment Products and Services
Aditi Javeri Gokhale is focused on driving the growth, competitiveness, and relevance of Northwestern Mutual in her role as chief commercial officer and president, investment products and services at Northwestern Mutual, the largest U.S. provider of life insurance and manager of more than $265 billion in policyholder assets.
She is responsible for the company’s go to market approach, corporate strategy, marketing, communications, and the company’s venture capital investments, in addition to the growth and performance of the Northwestern Mutual’s investment products and services business which holds more than $200 billion of client assets.
Now considered one of the largest and fastest growing independent broker dealers in the country, Gokhale is leading innovative teams to better serve the needs of the growing number of high net worth clients.
Gokhale’s focus is on differentiating the Northwestern Mutual brand and its products in the marketplace, while deepening client engagement.
Managing Director
Craig Schedler serves as a Managing Director with Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, the company's corporate venture capital arm. Craig is responsible for managing NM’s strategic venture capital investments in financial technology, digital health, data analytics and client experience.
Previously, Craig was a Director in the Corporate Strategy function at Northwestern Mutual. His team provided analysis on current competitive threats and opportunities, and how the strategic actions of those competitors affect NM.
Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Craig was a member of the healthcare investment banking team at B.C. Ziegler and Company executing both merger and acquisition and capital markets transactions.
Associate
Marie-Christine (MC) is a Associate at Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures. Marie-Christine focuses on deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio monitoring for NMFV.
Prior to joining NMFV Marie-Christine was a Scouting Manager for State Farm Labs in Silicon Valley. Here, she was responsible for identifying relevant startups for partnership opportunities. While there she co-founded Insurtech SVSF- an insurtech networking group.
She started her career in Catastrophe Insurance, where she spent 7+ years as a Property Underwriter and Catastrophe Modeler, underwriting commercial deals ranging from $1M-$16B.
Marie-Christine graduated from McGill University with a B.S. in Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences. While there she rowed varsity crew for four years. In her free time she likes to explore Milwaukee with her dog Mini, make ice cream, and watch British detective shows.
Associate
Moiz Dawoodbhai is an Associate at Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures. Moiz is focused on identifying and sourcing startups, due diligence and portfolio management for NMFV.
Previously, Moiz was a Senior Consultant and Innovation Manager in Client Services Strategy at Northwestern Mutual. He led digital transformation efforts to create a personalized customer experience and design new engagement models by exploring insuretech and fintech offerings and co-creating with early-stage startups.
Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Moiz was a part of the Innovation Team at Aurora Health Care, executing both joint ventures with health-tech startups and new product development. Moiz holds a BA in Marketing and IT from UW-Milwaukee and an MBA from Michigan State University. In his spare time, Moiz serves as the head coach of Milwaukee Metro, a youth basketball organization, and enjoys spending time with his family and cheering on the Spartans – Go Green!
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It’s time for venture capital funds to invest in Black entrepreneurs, and today, Northwestern Mutual is turning words into actions. We’ve announced two new initiatives to support Black startup founders both nationally and locally in Milwaukee.
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