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Serene Papenfuss

Investor

Board director at Donde

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Writes $500K – $3M checks

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Ask Josh Christensen to introduce you to Serene

You →Josh · together at Cicero Group (2016) →Serene

Ask Jamie Chen to introduce you to Serene

You →Jamie · 2 people · together at Cicero Group →Serene

Ask Sam Okafor to introduce you to Serene

You →Sam · 9 people · together at Kickstart →Serene

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About

Serene Papenfuss, a Utah-based VC raised in Tokyo, connects with global founders and Mountain West outsiders, advising whether to pursue VC and working hands-on on SaaS and marketplace go‑to‑market growth.

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechHealthtechSaaS

Board director at Donde

Intro paths

→

In turn, Serene can intro founders to Donde's investors below.

Donde's investors · 5

KickstartSalt Lake City · $250K – $3M checks · since 2022MatrixSan Francisco · $100K – $10M checks · since 2022Mercury FundHouston · $250K – $4M checks · since 2022Next Frontier CapitalBozeman · $2M – $5M checks · since 2022Swell CollectiveLehi · since 2022

Experience

  1. PDQVP of Growth & Operationscurrent2025 — presentSalt Lake City, Utah, United States
  2. PDQVP of Growth2025Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  3. PDQSenior Director of Operations & Strategy2023 — 2025Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  4. CareCarBoard Member2023Denver, Colorado, United States
  5. CareCarBoard Observer2021 — 2023Denver, Colorado, United States
  6. ShopDotInvestor2022 — 2023Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area
  7. Rook CapitalBoard Observer2022 — 2023Boulder, Colorado, United States
  8. DóndeBoard Member2022 — 2023Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  9. PeopleKeepBoard Member2021 — 2023Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  10. KickstartPrincipal2021 — 2023Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  11. Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE)Portfolio Value Creation2018 — 2021Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  12. Cicero GroupConsultant2016 — 2018Salt Lake City, UT

Skills & more

Statistical Data Analysis8Legal Research1Database Administration4Legal Writing1Research3Academic Tutoring6Political Polling5Internet Troubleshooting7Business Strategy1Data Analysis1Teamwork5Team Leadership11
+11 morePublic SpeakingLeadershipStrategic PlanningJapaneseMicrosoft OfficeStataLexisNexisMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordPowerPointTableau

Languages English · Japanese

From Serene's professional profile.

Deals · 1

DondeBoard seat

via Kickstart · filed Mar 2022 · $4.8M raise

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Serene Papenfuss?
Serene Papenfuss, a Utah-based VC raised in Tokyo, connects with global founders and Mountain West outsiders, advising whether to pursue VC and working hands-on on SaaS and marketplace go‑to‑market growth.
Where does Serene Papenfuss work?
Serene Papenfuss is Board director at Donde.
What does Serene Papenfuss invest in?
Serene Papenfuss invests in AI & Machine Learning, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Healthtech, SaaS.
What check size does Serene Papenfuss write?
Serene Papenfuss typically writes checks of $500K – $3M.
What boards does Serene Papenfuss sit on?
Serene Papenfuss holds tracked board seats at Donde.
Where did Serene Papenfuss go to school?
Serene Papenfuss studied at Brigham Young University (Bachelor's degree, Political Science and Japanese).

Same school

Shared employers