Expert DOJO

Investment decisions sit with Founder and Managing Partner Brian Mac Mahon, who is also a director at the Nathan Family Office, and CEO and General Partner Ashutosh Kumar. The two lead a Santa Monica-based team of 11 professionals. Day-to-day program execution involves Partner Isabelle Cloud, who manages investor relations, and a support team of analysts and program managers.

Expert DOJO runs a publicly accessible accelerator application process, then filters startups globally into its Investment Program and Growth Program tracks. The Growth Program, which does not require an equity investment, feeds high-potential companies into the Investment Program pipeline. The firm claims co-investment relationships with over 640 global investors, which provides both deal referrals and downstream syndication channels.

Expert DOJO operates as the venture capital arm of the Nathan Family Office, making it a hybrid structure. Brian Mac Mahon, the founder, concurrently serves as director at the family office. The accelerator writes equity checks from family-office capital rather than a traditional venture fund, but its high-volume, programmatic model resembles an institutional accelerator more than a typical single-family investment vehicle.

The firm concentrates on pre-seed and seed-stage startups that already have a product and a defined go-to-market strategy. It writes initial checks of $50,000 to $100,000. For companies that perform well, Expert DOJO indicates a potential for up to $1 million in follow-on funding, positioning it at the very early stage to bridge startups toward Series A.

Expert DOJO executes only direct investments into startups. Its model is based on writing equity checks into individual companies via its accelerator programs. The firm's co-investor network of more than 640 global investors refers deal flow and participates in rounds, but Expert DOJO itself does not invest as a limited partner in external venture funds.

Expert DOJO serves as the venture capital arm of the Nathan Family Office. Founder and Managing Partner Brian Mac Mahon holds a director role at the family office simultaneously. Expert DOJO's investment capital anchors in the family office, while its accelerator operations, team, and branding operate as a distinct entity in Santa Monica.

Expert DOJO states that 42% of its investments are in female-founded or female-led startups, which it highlights as more than double the 18.8% average among top US accelerators. The firm explicitly identifies diversity, equity, and inclusion as pillars of its community. Its portfolio spans founders across North America, India, Africa, and Latin America.