We've interviewed dozens of founders for a new series on product-market fit.

Erica Knowlton Bennett

Chief of Staff

Throughout my career, I’ve worked with founders to translate technical topics for their broader audiences, and I am inspired by entrepreneurs who are solving incredibly complex problems for their customers. In my role as Chief of Staff, I work alongside Todd Jackson to evaluate new opportunities, perform diligence on potential investments, and support founders in the First Round community.

Prior to First Round, I worked at Confluent, the foundational platform for data-in-motion. As one of the first marketing hires, I led all external communications, customer marketing, community, and events. As the company grew, I saw the need for a scalable way to share information and communicate with a distributed workforce. Partnering with the executive team, I designed and launched the internal communications function to help employees stay connected to the mission and vision as the company grew to 2,000+ employees globally. My experience at Confluent gave me an invaluable perspective on what it takes to create a successful company on a global scale, and that insight is what makes me so passionate about joining First Round and working with these incredible founders.

A Bay Area native, I moved from San Francisco to Denver at the end of 2020. Outside of work, you can find me exploring my new city, enjoying shows at Red Rocks, and taking advantage of all the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer. Passionate about my family, weightlifting, good music and coffee.