Phyllis Studerus is a long-standing business angel in the b2venture investment community, who has served as the firm’s Chief Empowerment Officer since 2022.

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“I have been collaborating with b2venture for a long time as an investor, but it’s more than a business relationship, and having served as a sounding board for issues revolving around workplace well-being informally for some time, we decided to formalize the role as a logical consequence.”

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Phyllis brings years of experience as an entrepreneur, angel investor, board member, and leader of corporate development to bear, with previous experience at Synthes (now part of Johnson & Johnson), McKinsey, and Sika.

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“I see my role as building leadership and empowering people by listening to them, understanding them, and encouraging them whenever possible. We have an incredibly positive work environment at b2venture, but there is always room for improvement. Sometimes I am a coach for challenges that arise, other times it is helping individuals find their purpose and giving them the sense they can contribute to the firm in a meaningful way.“ 

She first studied medicine, before turning to economics and receiving her master’s degree (lic.oec.) from the University of St. Gallen.She serves on various management boards and currently leads Business Development and Partnerships at planetarian.earth, an organization dedicated to protecting nature and existing biodiversity.

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She also helped build a startup in the maxillofacial surgery and orthodontic sector called Orthognathics, leading the organization as CEO.  

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“There was nothing more motivating and gratifying than getting beyond the micromanagement of a particular workstream and steadily driving the development of the company as a whole. In the process, making unconventional and unpopular decisions and sometimes even radical changes became part of everyday life and taught me a lot about leadership.” 

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The entire b2venture team is thrilled to have Phyllis at their side as a mentor and rely on her counsel and guidance on all issues relating to leadership and workplace well-being. “b2venture offers more than just capital - it is about imparting years of knowledge and experience to the next generation of founders and partnering with them to shape tomorrow. I feel honored to help the firm live a modern leadership culture with its employees.” 

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Phyllis is also accomplished athlete, playing volleyball in the Swiss National League, in addition to being a certified ski instructor.

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“Sports was always one of the best schools of life and helps me even today. Playing together on a team determines both victory and defeat; you get up when you're down, focus on the essentials, and you’re forced to get out of your comfort zone every once in a while.”