Florida Funders is thrilled to welcome Rachael Ferm as our newest Director of Investments. Rachael’s distinct experience and skills perfectly align with our hybrid model, which blends community-centric investing with the deep operational expertise that early-stage founders need most. We can’t wait to see how her global experience, natural networking skills, and VC prowess further elevate FLF.

The Perfect Foundation

Rachael's venture career began at Accenture’s Technology R&D & CVC arm before joining Alumni Ventures in New York City. 

At Alumni, Rachael’s team invested in 70+ deals across all sectors and stages alongside top tier global investors. Rapid exposure to varied markets and deal structures honed her ability to see where value concentrates, how different business models scale, and how industry dynamics shape risk in each sector and deal entry point. She developed "the reps you need to grow that venture muscle and instinct required when moving at high velocity” - allowing her to move decisively on high conviction bets. 

She then joined VoLo Earth Ventures, a globally top-performing energy fund anchored by Voloridge Investment Management in Jupiter, Florida. There she learned to build thematic, conviction-led portfolios, set and negotiate terms, and drive disciplined, quantitative portfolio construction. She also helped lead VoLo Earth’s $135M institutional fundraise, expanding her experience from high-velocity deal execution to institutionally rigorous portfolio design.

Why Florida Funders

When Saxon Baum reached out to discuss a potential opportunity with Florida Funders, Rachael immediately recognized something special: "FLF was this extraordinary marriage of these two experiences and really captured what I love most about both."

Rachael was drawn to Florida Funders’ ability to tap a highly active nationwide network for sharper diligence and outsized portfolio impact, underpinned by a thesis-led strategy, deep operator DNA, and a community-centric platform that benefits both founders and investors. She was also drawn to their deep focus on the human side of the industry - a quality she believes will only grow more important as venture continues to evolve. A closer look at the portfolio underscored that strength, revealing direct ties to some of the country’s most impressive founders and growth stories.

Investment Focus

Developed over her many years in the VC space, Rachel's investment interests currently include:

• Vertical Software: Vertical platforms that unlock hard-to-reach SMB segments, own distribution in fragmented industries, and become mission-critical to daily operations 
• Cybersecurity Evolution: As AI reshapes both the digital and physical worlds, new threat vectors emerge daily,  and cybersecurity is shifting from fear-based selling to a Trojan horse for powerful enterprise platforms.
• AI Orchestration: As AI systems grow more complex, the real leverage moves past apps and foundational models to orchestration - integration layers that help enterprises scale and optimize multi-model, multi-agent operations.

The Human Element

Rachael deeply appreciates personal relationships in venture outcomes. Her self-described superpower as a "connector" allows her to bring the right people together and synthesize chaos into actionable strategy, which is critical when evaluating dozens of deals weekly.

After speaking with some of our portfolio companies and co-investors, Rachael consistently heard glowing reviews about the Florida Funders team. She also got to know the FLF team herself and found those reviews true. "Everyone I met, I walked away thinking that's someone I want to have in my corner. And I thought that must be how founders feel."

Rachael's arrival strengthens Florida Funders as one of the Southeast's most active early-stage VCs. Her addition will only improve our ability to find exceptional founders with brilliant ideas and guide them through their growth journey.

We’re excited for you to get to know Rachael more and witness the impacts we know she’ll make. Watch our full video interview to hear more about Rachael’s background, advice for aspiring VCs, personal investment interests, and her plans to get even more deeply involved in the Southeast’s tech community.