Screendoor

Overview

Screendoor launched in 2021 in Towson, Maryland, founded by a team that includes Lisa Cawley, Layne Johnson and Jamie Rhode. The firm describes its capital and platform as purpose-built to back first-time and next-generation venture capital managers raising early-stage funds across the United States. Screendoor operates as a private equity fund-of-funds focused on early-stage venture — from start-up and seed through general early-stage. The platform writes meaningful capital commitments to serve as an anchor or catalyst for emerging GPs. Beyond fund commitments, Screendoor delivers a structured support model: personal mentorship from experienced VCs, access to an institutional LP network, and introductions to service partners including Gunderson Dettmer, Silicon Valley Bank and Aduro Advisors. The firm's GP Advisors include Aileen Lee of Cowboy Ventures, Hunter Walk of Homebrew, Kirsten Green of Forerunner, Charles Hudson of Precursor, and Mar Hershenson of Pear VC. Screendoor lists three team members alongside a roster of 11 GP Advisors and five institutional Partners. The advisory group spans prominent seed and early-stage investors, while the Partners are operational and professional service providers intended to help portfolio GPs build enduring firms. The firm's current team size is not publicly disclosed. No AUM, aggregate deployment figure, or specific portfolio-manager names have been made public. Screendoor is actively hiring a Head of Operations, as stated on its website. Screendoor's structural distinction lies in its emphasis on being a 'Partner in Limited Partner': it does not merely allocate capital, but embeds portfolio GPs into a curated community of advisors, co-investors, and operational service firms. This model attempts to replicate the ecosystem support that established venture platforms often extend to their own portfolio founders, but structured deliberately for the fund-formation stage.