Erik Moore is a former Merrill Lynch bond trader who became a venture investor after his early angel investment in neighbor Tony Hsieh's Zappos returned roughly 50x and funded his transition to backing startups full-time. He's known as an "unsung hero" investor who focuses on mission-driven companies serving diverse communities and brings a disciplined, anti-hype approach to seed investing that other founders cite as valuable early validation. Erik Moore is a former Merrill Lynch bond trader who became a venture investor after his early angel investment in neighbor Tony Hsieh's Zappos returned roughly 50x and funded his transition to backing startups full-time. He's known as an "unsung hero" investor who focuses on mission-driven companies serving diverse communities and brings a disciplined, anti-hype approach to seed investing that other founders cite as valuable early validation.