Aaron Miller
Partner
Aaron is an Investor at Will Ventures, focusing on sourcing, diligence and pipeline management. Aaron joined Will Ventures in July 2024 after graduating from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
We invest in category-defining businesses in the consumer, entertainment, and technology industries.
We're a team of competitors—entrepreneurs, operators, and investors with a hustle-first mentality
Ben Gardner
Managing Partner
Ben Gardner
Managing Partner
Ben joined the Will Ventures team following a 5+ year stint at Andreessen Horowitz, where he built out the a16z consumer team’s go-to-market platform. During that time he worked as a strategic advisor for portfolio companies like Instacart, Lime, Sleeper, Substack, Levels Health, and Dapper Labs, among many others.
Brian Reilly
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
Brian Reilly
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
Prior to Will Ventures, Brian brings a diverse professional background to bear on his work, with experience spanning the sports, fitness and healthcare sectors and across technologies (wearables, artificial intelligence, machine-learning) and business environments (VC-funded startups and investment firms).
He gained deep technology experience as a Founding Member and the Director of Product and Research at the Sports Innovation Lab, the premier sports technology research and advisory firm, and as a product manager at MC10, where he was responsible for the development and commercialization of next-generation sports, fitness and healthcare wearables and software systems for big data storage and machine-learning.
Brian earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and was a member of the college’s varsity football team. He is from East Windsor, New Jersey.
Isaiah Kacyvenski
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
Isaiah Kacyvenski
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
With two degrees from Harvard, several technology patents, and an 8-year stint playing in the NFL to his name, it’s safe to say Isaiah took an uncommon path to success as an entrepreneur and investor.
Jacob Westphal
Portfolio lead
Jacob Westphal
Portfolio lead
Jacob Westphal joined Will Ventures in the Fall of 2024 after 3.5 years at Andreessen Horowitz on the B2C Go-To-Market Team, where he developed and helped execute strategies for companies like ElevenLabs, GymClassVR, Airbuds, Sleeper, The Zone, Character.ai, and more.
Kelsie Mayo
VP, Finance
Kelsie Mayo
VP, Finance
Kelsie is responsible for the firm and fund financials and provides in-depth strategic direction in managing the firm.
Kushaan Ahuja
Partner
Kushaan Ahuja
Partner
Kushaan Ahuja is a Partner on the Investment team and based out of our Los Angeles office. Prior to joining Will Ventures, Kushaan was leading venture & growth investments at the sports and entertainment conglomerates, Endeavor and TKO. During his time there, he led investments across Consumer AI, Creator Economy, Gaming, Emerging CPG and Sports. Prior to that, he was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan covering Technology, Internet and Digital Media clients.
Kushaan has his B.A. in Economics & Accounting from UC Santa Barbara and is originally from San Diego
Lisa Romano
Executive Assistant
Lisa Romano
Executive Assistant
Lisa comes to Will Ventures from MC10, a wearable device company, where she was the HR and Administration Manager. Lisa has more than 15 years of combined experience in providing operations leadership and administrative support.
Yash Gupta
Principal
Yash Gupta
Principal
Yash is an Investor at Will Ventures, focused on sourcing new investment opportunities, investment diligence, research, and pipeline management.
The odds seem insurmountable, but the most tenacious entrepreneurs find a way
Willpower
Behind the glamor of every successful start-up are sleepless nights, self-doubt, and countless obstacles. That's the day-in, day-out reality of committing to this incredibly hard, and in many ways, irrational, journey.
Some days you’ve got it all figured out, and others you’re questioning everything. Some days people understand your vision and others, you’re met with only naysayers. There isn’t a routine, there isn’t a safety net. But there is a common denominator, willpower.
It takes a special person to persevere in the face of that adversity—to stare straight into the face of long odds and meet them head on. If you're an entrepreneur, that means:
- You take pride in being the underdog, and refuse to be denied.
- You’ve faced challenges, roadblocks, and barriers, but never back down.
- You dig deep within yourself to transform obstacles into inspiration.
- You’ve never been afraid of the work.
- You’ve defined your ambition, and are relentless in your pursuit of it.
We’ve been there, with our backs against the wall. So if you show up, if you understand the incredible power of determination, we’re here to build with you.
We're a research-backed firm, leveraging our access and expertise to help founders win