Ignite VC: Kerty Levy & Keith Camhi on How Vertical Networks Change Startup Outcomes | Ep223

Two founders walk into Techstars. One grew up across six countries. The other learned venture math the hard way. Together, they’re quietly rewiring how startups actually get built.In this episode of the Ignite Podcast, Brian sits down with Kerty Levy and Keith Camhi, the minds behind Techstars’ vertical networks, the layer most people miss, and the one founders feel the most.Who they areKerty Levy is a Managing Director at Techstars, leading Techstars Anywhere and the AI/ML vertical. With a life lived across continents and decades spent helping companies enter new markets, she brings a rare mix of global intuition and operator empathy to early-stage founders.Keith Camhi is Managing Director of the Techstars Healthcare Accelerator, powered by Permanente Medicine. A founder turned investor, he previously built and scaled FitLinxx, learned firsthand how liquidation preferences work in the real world, and now helps healthcare startups navigate regulation, distribution, and scale.What this conversation really explores• Why Techstars’ edge isn’t capital, it’s distributed networks and founder-first design• How vertical focus beats geographic focus once scale kicks in• The difference between safe startups and category-defining bets• Why momentum matters more than vanity metrics inside accelerators• How corporate partners can either unlock growth or slow it down• What headwinds reveal that tailwinds hide• Why AI’s next chapter is physical, not just digitalA few lines worth sitting with“If you can win in headwinds, you usually get the market to yourself.”“Momentum matters more than the number, speed tells you if the market cares.”“The accelerator isn’t a class, it’s a compression of years into weeks.”The callback here is simple. Kriti learned early how to land in unfamiliar terrain and build fast. Keith learned what happens when you scale without understanding the fine print. Today, both are helping founders do neither blindly.Different paths. Same destination. Fewer mistakes, faster learning, and bigger swingsIn Today's Episode We Discuss:00:01 Welcome and introductions02:55 Kerty Levy global origin story08:55 Keith Camhi early builder mindset13:05 Building FitLinxx and creating a category18:05 Venture capital realities and liquidation preferences20:50 Why Kerty Levy and Keith Camhi joined Techstars24:20 The origin of Techstars vertical networks29:15 Distributed scale as Techstars’ advantage32:40 AI as a vertical and what comes next34:05 How founders engage with Techstars36:30 Virtual vs in-person accelerators41:00 Inside the Techstars 12-week program46:05 Too early vs too late for an accelerator49:30 Defining success after 90 days52:00 How Kirty Levy and Keith Camhi evaluate founders57:40 Corporate partnerships that accelerate startups01:00:40 How the startup landscape has changed01:02:00 What the next few years will rewardSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ga6v0YUsHotLhjap67uu5Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ignite-conversations-on-startups-venture-capital-tech/id1709248824Follow Kerty Levy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kertylevy/Follow Kirty Levy on X: https://x.com/KertyLevyFollow Keith Camhi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithcamhi/Follow Keith Camhi on X: https://x.com/kcamhi Follow Brian on X: https://x.com/brianrbellFollow Brian on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bblinkedin/Visit Our Website: https://www.teamignite.venturesSubscribe to Our Newsletter: https://insights.teamignite.ventures/👂🎧 Watch, listen, and follow on your favorite platform: https://tr.ee/S2ayrbx_fL 🙏 Join the conversation on your favorite social network: https://linktr.ee/theignitepodcast