Patricia pastor shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Patricia, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
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**“What’s most misunderstood about what I do is that it’s just about capital and technology. In reality, building an AI-focused fund — especially one investing in early-stage private companies — is about pattern recognition, trust-building, and a deep understanding of how this technology fits into real operational problems.
There’s also a subtle but persistent misconception about what leadership in this space should ‘look like.’ As a woman operating in a highly male-dominated sector, I often find that people assume I’m either technical or strategic, but not both. The truth is, I’m both — and I bring a disciplined, founder-aware lens that a lot of traditional capital misses.
We’re not just investing in models. We’re backing the new architecture of business. And that requires a new kind of investor — one who can listen as well as a lead.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
“I’m General Partner at Next Tier Ventures, a venture fund focused on applied artificial intelligence with a global perspective. My background is in entrepreneurship — before becoming an investor, I was a founder myself and helped lead innovation ecosystems across Europe. For over a decade, I’ve supported early-stage startups by connecting talent, capital, and institutions to turn ideas into real-world impact.
That journey led me to create Next Tier Ventures, a fund that invests in private AI companies solving complex problems with transformative technology. We don’t invest locally — we invest globally, backing founders who think beyond borders from day one.
Our thesis is grounded in a clear conviction: AI is not a trend or a bubble; it’s the new operating infrastructure of the economy. And building that infrastructure requires more than capital — it requires vision, context, and strategic support.
At Next Tier, we don’t just invest in technology — we invest in applied intelligence, in founders who understand the world they’re building for, and in solutions that scale responsibly. We remain deeply committed to strengthening the innovation ecosystem, because the next breakthroughs won’t come from the top down — they’ll come from those already building the future from the ground up.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Definitely the founders I’ve worked with. Watching entrepreneurs navigate uncertainty, pivot their models in real time, and stay focused when everything is against them has taught me more about hard work—and leadership—than any book or mentor ever could.
I’ve also learned a lot from the ecosystem itself: collaborating with public institutions, large corporations, and early-stage startups showed me that work isn’t just about execution, but about building long-term relationships, listening carefully, and adapting without losing sight of your vision.
That combination—resilience, vision, and commitment to execution—is what I try to bring to my role every day, now from the investor side.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
There have been moments in my life that felt like defining wounds—times when challenges seemed overwhelming, and it felt like everything was at stake. But over time, I’ve learned that these moments are just chapters, not the whole story. When you step back and look at them with perspective, you realize they are temporary—they will pass.
The key has been to never give up and to consciously visualize better, more positive outcomes, even when things look bleak. Holding onto hope and focusing on what’s possible, rather than what’s broken, has helped me move forward.
In the end, these experiences pass naturally, but they leave behind valuable lessons that make you wiser and stronger. Healing, for me, is not about forgetting the pain, but about integrating those lessons and using them as fuel for growth. It’s a process of transformation—turning wounds into wisdom, and setbacks into stepping stones.”
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
*“If there’s one value that defines how I relate to the world, it’s loyalty. For me, loyalty is the foundation of everything — personal relationships, professional partnerships, long-term trust. It’s the quality I value most in others, and the one I protect most fiercely in myself.
I’ve learned that you can be brilliant, ambitious, even successful — but without loyalty, everything else is fragile. Trust takes time to build and seconds to break, and that’s why I’m very clear: if there’s no loyalty, I walk away. I’m not interested in sharing space — personally or professionally — with people who don’t understand mutual commitment as a non-negotiable.
Loyalty doesn’t mean agreeing on everything. It means showing up, being consistent, having someone’s back — even quietly. It’s the invisible thread that holds things together when they start to shake. And it’s what separates relationships that elevate you from those that drain you.
Over the years — and through my own difficult moments — I’ve learned that being loyal to my principles, to my people, and to my purpose is what’s carried me through every challenge.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I’ve been doing this my whole life — building when no one believes. But that’s exactly where I’ve learned to thrive. When you have to create something from zero — without validation, without resources, and sometimes with open skepticism — you develop a different kind of strength. You stop waiting for permission. You stop needing external approval. You focus on building with clarity, conviction, and grit.
That’s been the story behind everything I’ve launched: I’ve had to prove things from scratch, not once but over and over again. And honestly, I wouldn’t change it. Because that experience has shaped the way I lead, invest, and support others.
I now back founders with the same kind of fire — people who aren’t waiting for the world to catch up, but who are already building what comes next, with or without applause.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nexttier.vc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriciapg?igsh=MWYxbWVhMXVqazVpOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciapastorg?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
Image Credits
Patricia Pastor
General Partner Next Tier Ventures
Ambassador WeInvest
