Pejman Nozad and Mar Hershenson are the founders of Pear, a venture capital firm specializing in early stage investments. They’ve invested together in over 30 startups, including DoorDash, Guardant Health, Branch, and Gusto.

As two of the most respected venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, Pejman and Mar form a powerful team. Pejman immigrated to the U.S. from his native Iran with only $700 in his pocket and began investing in companies while working as a rug dealer in Palo Alto. Originally from Barcelona, Mar holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and brings significant operational and technical expertise to Pear. The “Who We Are” section of Pear’s website boldly states, “We understand what it means to build something from nothing. That journey defines each of our life stories. We are immigrants, having come to America penniless, but with big ideas.” Pejman and Mar visit the Mountain View office to share their personal stories and talk about how their experience immigrating to the US and starting out in a new country has shaped the way they approach partnering with people and making business decisions.

Learn more about Pear: https://www.pear.vc/

Event moderated by Jorge Cueto .