Episode 117: Kristina Chapple: 11 Tribes VC

Author

Barbara Bickham
September 19, 2025

Hi Impactful Listener!

In this episode, host Barbara Bickham talks with Kristina Chapple, General Partner at 11 Tribes VC, about transforming the venture capital industry by focusing not only on business outcomes but also on founder well-being and resilience. Kristina shares how 11 Tribes takes a holistic approach to venture investing, prioritizing founders' relationships, health, and identity alongside company performance. The conversation covers the unique aspects of 11 Tribes’ investment thesis, the long-term effects of supporting founders as people, and predictions for the future of venture capital.

Key Points Discussed

  • Redefining Venture Capital: Kristina discusses how 11 Tribes VC supports both the business outcome and the “founder outcome,” focusing on personal well-being, relationships, and holistic success.

  • Innovative Resilience Funding: The fund allocates an additional 2% of each investment for non-dilutive support targeting founder resilience—covering coaching, therapy, and even marriage counseling.

  • Leadership & Well-being Data: Active collaboration with academic research (University of Baylor) to measure the impact of investing in founders' well-being on leadership effectiveness and company performance.

  • Changing Exit Expectations: Kristina predicts founders will raise less capital and pursue more frequent exits in the $50M–$300M range, reshaping VC portfolio strategies.

  • Identity and Founder Health: Deep dive into the importance of founders separating their personal worth from company success in order to build healthier, more sustainable enterprises.

🎧 Watch the Episode

Chapters

  • 00:00 – Guest intro and background

  • 00:18 – What inspired Kristina to become a VC

  • 01:13 – The 11 Tribes thesis and supporting founders first

  • 02:05 – Business outcome vs. founder outcome

  • 04:15 – Founder resilience in practice: 2% capital allocation

  • 07:17 – Leadership development and research collaboration

  • 10:12 – Book recommendation: “Personal History” by Katharine Graham

  • 11:52 – The future of VC and sub-$200M exits

  • 14:41 – How to connect with Kristina & 11 Tribes VC

Full Topic Guide

Rethinking Venture Capital: Founders First with Kristina Chapple of 11 Tribes VC

Introduction

The traditional venture capital mindset prioritizes business metrics—valuation, revenue, and ultimately, exit price. But what if investors supported not only the company, but the people behind it? In this episode of Female VC Lab, Kristina Chapple, General Partner at 11 Tribes VC, shares how her firm is rewriting the playbook by investing in founder well-being and resilience—proving that thriving founders build thriving companies.

Beyond Valuations: Focusing on the “Founder Outcome”

For decades, the VC world evaluated success primarily by financial outcomes. Kristina reveals how her own journey—witnessing the destructive toll on founders and teams—led her to champion a new VC thesis. At 11 Tribes, the “founder outcome” is tracked alongside the business outcome: Are founders leaving the journey with their marriages, families, and health intact? Their approach recognizes that enduring relationships and well-being are as essential to long-term success as cap table returns.

How 11 Tribes Operates Differently

A core differentiator is 11 Tribes’ allocation of an additional 2% of every check (on top of their investment) as non-dilutive capital earmarked for founder resilience. This fund can be spent on coaching, therapy, health initiatives, marriage counseling, or other deeply personal, founder-chosen supports. Kristina shares that this was born from the realization that poor mental or relational health isn’t just a personal risk—it’s an existential risk to the company’s ability to survive the marathon journey to exit.

Investing in Leadership, Backed by Data

The thesis goes beyond good intentions. 11 Tribes is partnering with academic researchers at Baylor University to rigorously measure how founder self-investment correlates with leadership quality and financial outcomes. Early evidence suggests that when founders are grounded and supported in all aspects of their life, they lead more effectively and make better decisions even through turbulence. This, Kristina notes, is both a moral and practical advantage.

The New Era of Venture: Smaller Exits, Greater Impact

Looking ahead, Kristina predicts a sea change in venture capital. Founders are seeking—and often preferring—smaller, faster exits ($50M–$300M) rather than racing toward elusive billion-dollar outcomes. As the cost to build decreases and bootstrapping becomes more viable, both founders and investors can share in substantial wins without chasing moonshots. This means VCs must adapt their underwriting, portfolio construction, and expectations accordingly.

Lessons in Leadership and Identity

Kristina also touches on the enduring struggle founders face tying their identity to company success. Drawing inspiration from Katherine Graham’s autobiography, Kristina advocates for founders to nurture confidence and personal worth outside their business pursuits. Building a strong sense of self, supported by family and well-being, helps founders weather the inherent stress and unpredictability of entrepreneurship.

Conclusion

By placing the founder at the center, 11 Tribes VC demonstrates how a people-first approach is both kinder and wiser for building lasting companies. As Kristina’s work shows, supporting the human side of entrepreneurship holds the key to smarter, healthier, and yes—more profitable—venture outcomes.

Notable Quotes from the Guest

  1. We allocate 2% of capital on top of our check...for founder resilience. It’s about putting our money where our mouth is. - Kristina Chapple

  2. A founder’s worth as a human is not wrapped up into the success and performance of their company. - Kristina Chapple

Fun Facts or Interesting Tidbits

  1. 11 Tribes allocates a separate, non-dilutive founder resilience fund for every portfolio company.

  2. Kristina’s team includes a marriage counselor as part of their founder support menu—by founder request!

  3. Kristina is currently reading Katharine Graham’s “Personal History” to draw lessons on identity and confidence from the legendary Washington Post publisher.

Episode Resource: Learning, Reading, and Listening

Books

  • Personal History: An Autobiography by Katharine Graham

    Find it on Amazon

    (This is the autobiography of the former publisher of The Washington Post, discussed by Kristina Chapple in the episode.)

No additional books, podcasts, or other resources were mentioned in response to this question in the episode.

Kristina Chapple is a General Partner at 11 Tribes Ventures – an early-stage fund that proactively invests in the resilience of their founders.

Fund Information

11 Tribes Ventures is an early-stage investment firm that proactively invests into the resilience of entrepreneurs. We are radical in our allocation of resources to develop our founders, putting real dollars towards their mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Our approach is proving that healthy founders will lead to healthy returns without compromising mission or profitability.

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Best,
Barbara

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