Max Crowley

My favorite founders are the ones solving a problem that’s deeply personal to them. They’re the most relentless, resourceful, obsessed, and slightly unhinged (in the best possible way) kind of founder. For the past couple of years, I’ve had a front-row seat to exactly that, in my own house, as @DanielleAxman has moved mountains to design, develop, build, and prepare to launch @wildermarket. She has completely reimagined the neighborhood market, rethinking nearly every part of the experience including: 1) An ingredient sourcing and vetting framework called The Wilder Standard, developed alongside a multidisciplinary network of independent experts in nutrition, food science, epidemiology, regenerative agriculture, environmental health, and food systems, including Ken Cook and the team at the Environmental Working Group, 2) A delicious culinary and beverage program developed by Grassfed Culture Hospitality, the Michelin-starred Miami group behind Los Félix and Krüs Kitchen, and 3) A founding investment from Major Food Group, the global leader in experiential hospitality, with the team joining as strategic advisors to bring operational depth and hospitality expertise to everything from the in-store experience to long-term growth. It takes a village to build something of this caliber, and Wilder has one hell of a village. But more than that, it takes a clear and unrelenting vision to bring it all to life. This has been such a fun project to be part of and I couldn’t be more excited to see the doors open soon. Read more in Forbes: lnkd.in/e6vFnD5G

Today I am introducing @suprette_. For generations, the heart of French village society revolved around supérettes, small neighborhood markets that served as cultural anchors where people gathered, connected and lived daily life together. Places like that matter more now than ever. These neighborhood pillars provided the inspiration not just for our name, but for our broader thesis as well. With so many aspects of business and life, from technology to content to intelligence, becoming increasingly commoditized, value is moving swiftly to what can't be replicated. This is why we exist. We are operators first. We identify and partner with a small number of exceptional businesses, take meaningful ownership, and embed ourselves alongside their teams, bringing capital, talent and technology to the work. We protect what makes them special and strengthen everything behind the business. We recognize that capital alone won't unlock that potential. These businesses are built on taste, craft, quality and authenticity. Scaling them takes people who understand how they actually work. The businesses behind these experiences, across hospitality, events, sports, and health and wellness, share qualities that are rare and durable. They create real-world connection and cultural resonance. Demand is rooted in ritual and identity, not algorithms. Technology sharpens rather than disrupting them. The experience remains deeply human, while everything behind it becomes smarter, stronger and more efficient. Today’s cultural anchors look different than the traditional supérette, but they matter more now than ever. Our focus is finding those businesses that communities form around and where their value compounds with every experience. In a world of infinite supply, that scarcity only becomes more valuable. We are building the cultural infrastructure of real life. Read our full manifesto below and at suprette.com.