Drake Rehfeld

Time to appreciate Drake Rehfeld, the guy’s a straight-up hustler and a total product nerd. He’s LA-based, but his story is one of those “jumped into everything early and crushed it” kinda deals. Dude’s been around the block with startups, big tech, VC, you name it.

Started out at USC, right? B.Sc. in Computer Science and Business, the perfect combo for someone who wants to build cool shit that actually sells. While he was there, he got involved in LavaLab, USC’s startup incubator, which is where he probably caught the startup bug for real. That’s where he started experimenting, building, learning, the real deal.

Fast forward, he co-founded Demeanor.co, a YC-backed influencer software platform. Think of it as a tool for creators to manage their brand and content, super hot in today’s social world. He was CEO from 2017 to 2019, and honestly, that’s a wild ride, building something from scratch, convincing investors, scaling a company. Then, NTWRK, that hype-driven media and commerce platform, swooped in and acquired Demeanor, with Drake sticking around as Director of Product. That’s how you know he’s got the product sense, he’s not just throwing ideas out there; he’s about turning them into something real and making them stick.

Before that, he cut his teeth in the trenches at Snapchat, working on machine learning and computer vision. That’s some high-level shit, blending AI with consumer apps. And he’s also worked with social media incubators like Team 10, so he’s seen the creator economy from all angles.

But he didn’t stop there. He’s also into investing and mentoring. Now, he’s a Principal at Day One Ventures, a VC firm that’s all about consumer startups. He’s the guy leading comms and PR, but more than that, he’s investing in the next wave of media and internet companies. Basically, he’s got his finger on the pulse of what’s next.

What does this all tell you about Drake? First, he’s insanely curious, jumping into new tech, new ideas, new markets. Second, he’s got a killer product instinct, he knows what users want, what creators need, and how to build for it. Third, he’s a true builder, not just dreaming but executing, scaling, and then moving on to the next thing.

He’s also got a bit of that adventurous spirit, he’s a Private Pilot, which is not just for fun, it’s a sign he loves taking risks and flying high, literally and figuratively. So, in a nutshell, Drake is the guy you want in your corner if you’re trying to build the future trend in media, tech, or creator economy. He’s been there, done that, and he’s just getting started. No Cap, this guy’s the real deal.