Maurice Russo

Maurice Russo is an early-stage venture capital investor with Lerer Hippeau, a New York-based firm, where he focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage consumer companies. His investment philosophy is informed by his diverse background and a deep understanding of market dynamics. lererhippeau+1

Before entering venture capital, Maurice was a successful professional poker player for two years, where he honed skills in risk management, strategic decision-making under uncertainty, and managing variance. He draws direct parallels between poker and VC, noting that success in both fields involves a power law distribution, focusing on long-term outcomes, and balancing game theory optimal (GTO) strategies with exploitative play. luma+2

Maurice's personal experience with Lyme disease profoundly shaped his career, leading him to work as an investor at Healthworx, the venture capital arm of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. In this role, he focused on healthcare startups, driven by a passion to improve healthcare access and address the root causes of medical issues, not just symptoms. healthworx

A former serious athlete, Maurice was a Division 1 men's tennis player at The George Washington University, where he was recruited for his athletic prowess. This early experience instilled in him mental toughness and the understanding that success often requires persistence through difficult times, a lesson he applies to the startup ecosystem. healthworx+1