Kevin Campos (Fifth Wall) - Why Landlords Should Love Tech Enabled Tenants, Omnichannel Strategy For DNVBs and Growing Up in Retail

The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands

My guest today is [Kevin Campos](https://fifthwall.com/team/kevin-campos), Partner and Head of Retail at [Fifth Wall](https://fifthwall.com/). Fifth Wall manages the largest fund specialized in real estate technology. On the retail side, some of their investments include Allbirds, Cotopaxi and Foxtrot. This was an awesome conversation about Kevin's upbringings in retail, how that shaped his career, the changes in retail during COVID and why landlords should be open to tech enabled tenants and their advantages. Without further ado, here's Kevin.

Some of the questions I ask Kevin:

1. What was your attraction to retail?

2. What were some of your learnings from your parents since they were both business owners?

1. Summer Camp Campos was working in the

3. What attracted you to work at Fifth Wall and on the investing side of retail?

1. Operating ideas

2. Ideas vs. execution

4. How do you think about investing in consumer brands in this current environment?

5. We've talked on this show about the changes in retail during COVID, which were drastic. How has (or has) that changed your thinking when you're advising companies if/when they should go into retail?

6. Recently I had on Ernesto Schmitt, co-founder of the venture fund The Craftory and he said that he believes alot of digitally native brands are heading into retail way to early. How do you make of the current market?

7. What are some creative growth strategies you've seen brands incorportate?

8. How important is Amazon to a brand strategy?

9. How will the retail store change as we come out of COVID?

10. Do you have to be a sustainable brand to win?

1. Also, what does sustainability mean to you?

11. Are there certain markets or parts of certain cities within the U.S. that you think are destined to become a retail destinations?

12. When does it make sense for a brand to create their own stores as opposed to go wholesale when thinking about expanding into retail?

13. What's one thing you would change about venture capital?

14. What's one book that inspired you personally and one book that inspired you professionally?

15. What's the best piece of advice that you've received?