Transformation: My Personal Journey, My Career, and the Founders’ Story

by Kleida Martiro

I am honored to share my promotion to Partner at Glasswing Ventures. As I step into this new role and embrace the responsibilities that come with it, I find myself reflecting deeply on the theme of transformation. My professional path, my personal narrative, Glasswing’s evolution, and the journey of the founders we support are all interwoven tales of transformation. These stories remind me of the power of resilience and adaptation, and they serve as a constant source of inspiration as we strive to make a lasting impact in the world of venture capital.

When I left Albania and my family behind at the age of 13, I knew I was embarking on a journey of change. Throughout my time in the United States, I lived in Seattle, Boston, New York, and Chicago, learning to adapt quickly to new environments. This skill has proven invaluable in my role as an operator and is one that I greatly appreciate in our founders. As I moved back to Boston four years ago to start my career in venture capital at Glasswing, I have established a strong foundation in the ecosystems for which we invest. I am grateful for the resulting support system and community developed during my time and intend to work harder than ever in service of our portfolio company founders, my colleagues, and my peers in entrepreneurship.

My four-year journey with Glasswing has been nothing short of transformative. In my career, I have transitioned from a data scientist and operator to a responsible and passionate investor. This incredible journey would not have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance of Rudina and Rick, who believed in me and showed me the ropes of the venture capital business from day one, allowing me to grow within the firm they founded. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to learn and further advance my career with such an extraordinary team. Furthermore, it is Glasswing’s culture and its people that truly inspire me to be better. Having the privilege to work alongside Vlad, Kyle, Hunter, Ali, Carol, Ted, Sarah, Joe, Mark, Jessica, Ben, and Kaitlyn is a gift that keeps on giving. Their collective knowledge, dedication, and passion for our mission enrich my own experience and continually push me to grow both personally and professionally. As a Partner at Glasswing, it is my commitment to provide the same empowering environment to my peers and the talented investors who transform and build their careers alongside me.

Glasswing is relentlessly passionate about nurturing founders who develop groundbreaking solutions that leverage Artificial Intelligence to address real, pressing problems in the enterprise and security sectors. We were among the earliest advocates for the transformational power of AI and in my early days, I often found myself as the sole voice in a room describing it as an innovation wave at the scale of cloud computing. Today, it has captured the attention of my peers and the public alike for its ability to revolutionize industries, automate processes, and enable humans to tackle complex challenges with unprecedented speed and accuracy. As a Partner at Glasswing, I am clear-eyed in my immense responsibility to invest in and empower those founders who will drive this technological revolution.

The founder and company building story is very much one of transformation of industries as well as people, in the form of founding teams. I have experienced firsthand the way that technological innovation effectively applied to business problems can reshape markets and unlock new value. I am in a fortunate position to see every day how rethinking the way something is done today can be a catalyst for change and progress. The founding journey is similarly transformational for entrepreneurs and operators, as well as their supporters. It often requires facing new challenges, significant uncertainty, and frequent failure. Through this deeply human process, entrepreneurs gain new knowledge, build relationships, and form a deeper understanding of themselves. It is a privilege to be in the trenches with our founders day in and out and provide hands-on support and expertise in the crucial early business-building days. In my new role, I am excited to further contribute and empower founders to succeed and revolutionize their respective industries.

As I reflect on my journey, I recognize that the essence of our transformative approach extends far beyond the support we offer during the Seed stage. It bears repeating that under the exceptional leadership of Rudina and Rick, I have experienced firsthand the vital role that relentless commitment to transparency, strong partnerships, and sound governance play as Glasswing expands and our companies evolve to reshape legacy systems and raise next rounds of financings.

As I embrace my new role as Partner at Glasswing Ventures, I am excited to continue this journey of transformation alongside a team that shares my unwavering passion for innovation, integrity, and positive change. I am humbled by the trust placed in me and look forward to supporting the next generation of trailblazing founders in their own transformative journeys.