This Rising VC Says the Smartest Founders Are Chasing Unsexy Ideas in the AI Era

Venture capital investor Will McKelvey spoke with Inc. about how he’s angling to capitalize on AI’s second-order effects.

BY BRIAN CONTRERAS, STAFF WRITER @_B_CONTRERAS_

Illustration: Inc.; Photos: Courtesy Subject, Getty Images

In 2017, Will McKelvey secured a job working for outspoken Silicon Valley congressman Ro Khanna, eventually becoming the representative’s economic and healthcare policy advisor. In the process, McKelvey’s eyes were opened to the power and intrigue of venture capital.

“Capitalism is ultimately moving money around, and investing in startups is the most interesting money you can move,” McKelvey says.

So in 2021 McKelvey left Capitol Hill for business school at the University of California, Berkeley, where he raised a small........

© Inc.com