Dan Levitan co-founded Maveron by combining investment banking expertise with Howard Schultz's operating experience at Starbucks, creating a "consumer + capital" approach that led to early bets on category-defining brands like eBay before consumer marketplaces were obvious investments. He focuses on a "movement-first" investment thesis, prioritizing founders who can build multi-billion-dollar brands that feel like social movements around clear missions like sustainability or transparency, while emphasizing founder recruiting ability and coaching as core filters for backing entrepreneurs. Dan Levitan co-founded Maveron by combining investment banking expertise with Howard Schultz's operating experience at Starbucks, creating a "consumer + capital" approach that led to early bets on category-defining brands like eBay before consumer marketplaces were obvious investments. He focuses on a "movement-first" investment thesis, prioritizing founders who can build multi-billion-dollar brands that feel like social movements around clear missions like sustainability or transparency, while emphasizing founder recruiting ability and coaching as core filters for backing entrepreneurs.