Richard Odior

Richard Odior is an experienced venture capital professional currently serving as an Early Stage VC at Zeal Capital Partners, where the focus is on investing in diverse management teams from Pre-seed to Series A. In addition to this role, Richard acts as a Venture Advisor at Mercury, works as a Venture Partner at NextGen Venture Partners, and holds limited partner positions at First Close Partners and Darkmode Ventures. Richard is also an Advisory Board Member for the Factor Fellowship and part of the Investment Committee for the Cap Table Coalition, which aims to close the racial wealth gap. Academic roles include Course Leader for Product Strategy at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Board of Advisors position with the University of Houston’s Cougar Venture Fund. Richard’s educational background includes an MBA with a focus on Strategy and Venture Capital from both Northwestern University and London Business School, as well as a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston.