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Media Ventures
Media Ventures was founded by Kevin M. McGovern, a consumer-products entrepreneur whose most visible exit was the sale of SoBe Beverages to PepsiCo.
Media Ventures
Media Ventures was founded by Kevin M. McGovern, a consumer-products entrepreneur whose most visible exit was the sale of SoBe Beverages to PepsiCo. The firm operates alongside McGovern Capital and draws its capital from McGovern's own liquidity events, making it functionally a hybrid between a single-family investment vehicle and an entrepreneurial platform. Jarrett McGovern, Kevin's son, is a named principal and co-founder of Rise Brewing Co., a portfolio company that illustrates the firm's pattern of building businesses rather than merely backing them. Deployment concentrates on consumer-packaged goods, beverage, and life-science ventures. The investment posture is hands-on: McGovern and his team often take operating roles, board seats, or co-founder positions. Confirmed portfolio companies include Rise Brewing Co., the nitro cold-brew brand, and As Ever, the lifestyle label associated with Meghan Markle, where Media Ventures partner Melissa Kalimov serves as COO. The Water Initiative, chaired by Quincy Jones, represents the firm's durable bet on water purification technology. Geographic focus spans the United States, with documented operations in New York and Connecticut. Team scale is deliberately lean, with additional offices in Greenwich, New York, and Miami supporting sourcing and operating partner logistics. Philanthropically, the McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in Life Sciences at Cornell University anchors the family's institutional giving. Kevin McGovern is a Trustee Emeritus of Cornell and a member of the Consumer Reports Advisory Council, affiliations that extend the firm's network into academic and consumer-advocacy circles. His professional connection to boxer Roy Jones Jr. underscores the firm's unconventional entertainment-sector ties. Structurally, Media Ventures blends a family office's patience with an operator's urgency. Rather than running a blind-pool fund with LPs, the firm partners selectively via shared-services vehicles like McGovern Capital. This architecture lets McGovern deploy capital without the pressure of artificial timelines, while simultaneously offering co-founders operational infrastructure — a structural edge over traditional venture funds competing for the same consumer-branding deals.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Norwalk
Corporate office
Norwalk, CT, United States
Additional offices
Greenwich, CT, United States · New York, NY, United States · Miami, FL, United States
Principals
Kevin M. McGovern
Founder
Jarrett McGovern
Principal
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Media Ventures?
Kevin M. McGovern serves as Founder and makes all material investment decisions. He is the former founder of SoBe Beverages. His son, Jarrett McGovern, operates as a principal and manages day-to-day involvement in portfolio companies like Rise Brewing Co.
How does Media Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
Sourcing relies on Kevin McGovern's personal network, built through consumer-products boards, the Cornell University trustee community, and the Consumer Reports Advisory Council. The firm's operating-partner model attracts founders seeking co-founder-level involvement rather than passive capital.
Is Media Ventures a single family office or a venture firm?
It operates as a hybrid — a family-backed platform that deploys Kevin McGovern's personal capital through a venture-style, hands-on model. Unlike a blind-pool fund, it does not report to outside limited partners and can hold positions indefinitely.
Does Media Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm structures investments as direct deals, often co-founding or incubating companies through McGovern Capital. There is no public record of Media Ventures committing as a limited partner to third-party funds.
What investment stages does Media Ventures typically target?
The firm enters at seed stage or earlier, frequently co-creating concepts with operating partners before product launch. Rise Brewing Co. exemplifies this approach, with Jarrett McGovern as a co-founder from inception.
How is Media Ventures related to McGovern Capital?
McGovern Capital serves as the shared-services and deal-execution entity for Kevin McGovern's investment activities. Media Ventures holds the capital and portfolio positions, while McGovern Capital provides operational, legal, and strategic support to both the firm and its portfolio companies.
Does Media Ventures maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Yes. The McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in Life Sciences at Cornell University operates as a distinct philanthropic vehicle. Kevin McGovern also supports the Silver Shield Foundation, a charity for families of fallen first responders, separately from Media Ventures' investment activities.
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