SCHRAM, LORI

The firm sources primarily through Lori Schram's network of venture capital relationships built over two decades of direct investing. Deal flow comes through co-investor introductions, founder referrals, and relationships with top-tier venture firms where Schram has served as a limited partner or co-investor. The office does not operate a formal outbound sourcing team, relying instead on its principal's personal network and the inbound opportunities generated by reputation.

It is legally a multi-family office but operationally resembles an independent sponsor or deal syndicator. The firm does not pool capital into a commingled fund; each investment is structured through a separate special-purpose vehicle that families opt into on a case-by-case basis. Compensation derives from carried interest on realized gains rather than management fees on committed assets.

The firm focuses almost exclusively on direct deals — venture, growth equity, and select buyout co-investments. While early in its history it allocated to outside venture funds to build relationships, the current model emphasizes direct co-investment alongside those fund managers rather than committing capital to their blind-pool vehicles.

The firm targets late-stage venture and growth equity rounds, typically Series C through pre-IPO, with occasional earlier-stage exceptions in sectors where Schram has deep domain relationships. Minimum check sizes run in the low single-digit millions per deal across the syndicate, with individual family participation often smaller.

The firm generally avoids capital-intensive sectors including hardware-heavy deep tech, biotechnology, clean energy manufacturing, and traditional brick-and-mortar retail. The focus remains on asset-light technology businesses in software, data, fintech, and digital consumer platforms.

The firm charges no management fee on committed or deployed capital. It earns carried interest — typically a share of profits above a return threshold — only when an investment is realized at a gain. Families pay only their pro-rata share of direct deal expenses, creating a compensation model fully contingent on exit performance.

The office coordinates donor-advised fund contributions and philanthropic planning for client families but does not operate a standalone foundation under the SCHRAM, LORI umbrella. Philanthropic activity is structured on an advisory basis, with families retaining control over giving vehicles and grantmaking decisions.