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Ryan Sells
Partner
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
– Mark Twain
Prior to Pear, Ryan was the first go-to-market hire at three venture-backed startups. Most recently, he served as VP of Revenue at Turnstile, a revenue automation startup backed by First Round Capital. Before that, he was employee #8 and VP of Revenue at Pipe, and employee #7 and Head of Business Development at Second Measure (YC S15, acq. by Bloomberg). After the acquisition, he led alternative data strategy within Bloomberg’s Office of the CTO.
Ryan also co-founded Dash Fund, a seed-stage FinTech fund that raised and deployed $25M across two funds and 57 portfolio companies.
He began his career at JP Morgan and holds a BBA from The College of William & Mary, where he double majored in Finance and History while playing Division I soccer. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and two kids.
Outside of work you’ll find me…
Traveling and being outdoors keep me happy – skiing, cycling, tennis, soccer and golf are some favorites. I love exploring new restaurants and wines. Also, I’m a dad to two young kids, so I’m well-versed in playground architecture and the city’s elite ice cream establishments.
What is your most used emoji?
👍, 🚀, 🧐, 🤪, and 🤷🏼♂️
What’s your favorite book?
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
What career path did you want to pursue when you were a kid?
I was pretty set on being a pilot as a kid. My first job, though, was as a paperboy – and somehow my parents convinced me to open a Roth IRA at age 8 with that income. That’s when I got the investing bug, which led me to major in Finance and start out in banking. I’m not a pilot yet…but there’s still time!
What are your favorite sports teams?
The U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Teams
Previously
Co-Founder & GP at Dash Fund
VP, Revenue at Turnstile
VP, Revenue at Pipe
Head of Data Strategy at Bloomberg
Head of BD at Second Measure (YC S15, acq. by Bloomberg)
Intern → Analyst → Associate → VP, JPMorgan
Interested in
One of the best parts of venture is spending time with brilliant people building the future. I’m fascinated by new markets and the products shaping them – especially now, in the midst of a generational shift in tech. The way software is built and consumed has fundamentally changed, creating near-limitless opportunities for founders (and, hopefully, their investors 😊). I believe venture is, at its core, a services business. We exist to serve the founders we back and the LPs who trust us. Learning alongside them – and helping them succeed – is the most rewarding part of the work.