Chris Kantrowitz

This is the last photo my dad and I took together before he passed in 2019. He was being treated for cancer in Germany, and it looked like he was coming home in a few days. So I said goodbye and looked forward to his return to LA. The clinic he was at wanted to do one last treatment, and they fucked up. I returned to Germany and held my dad while he took his last breath. This was one of his favorite songs, and I played it as he passed away. I couldn’t stop thinking of my dad tonight. For years, my dad used to say that he worried about me. He never explicitly stated what it was, but I always knew that he wanted me to be successful and happy. Being an entrepreneur is fraught with highs and lows. It’s a life that lacks stability. Akira was young, and the trajectory of his life was unclear. I knew that weighed on him. In the year leading up to his death, my dad and I had some of the most revealing and powerful moments together. As his illness progressed, I had my own pain. I didn’t want him to leave this world worried about me. Three days before we took this picture, out of the blue, he told me he wasn’t worried about me anymore. He saw something in our last days together. I cried myself to sleep that night. At that time, his health was improving, so I figured we could discuss it further when he returned from Germany. That never happened, as I sit here and I think about the gift of his being my father and the unwavering support he gave me, I can’t stop thinking of our last moment, his last breath, and that we were complete. The day he passed, my family was in a bit of disarray. Our father had passed away in a foreign country, and there was a lot of complexity associated with it. Jamie called some friends in LA, and we were introduced to @christianangermayer . This generous man sent his private doctor across Germany to help facilitate my father's return home. Why do I mention this? Christian is the co-founder of ATAI. Years ago, this act of generosity brought him into my life. We have never met or spoken, but I was reminded of him tonight as I thought about my dad. Thank you, Christian. Dad, you're in my heart so much today. I feel your spirit. Miss you pops.

Just a little follow-up. A few hours after I posted about Beckley, I went to my friend's housewarming party and was standing in a group of people. I was asked if I work in the psychedelic space, and my answer was, “I guess.” Someone in the group outted me as an investor. I never say I am an investor because, frankly, that's just not me. And the man in the picture probed. It turns out that he is the co-founder of ATAI (the company that Beckley merged with); his name is Florian Brand, and he is a wonderful human. Today was emotional for me, and meeting him on this day in particular only reaffirms to me that we are all connected, that we are all one. All I wanted from this work was for the good people to win, and meeting Florian completed the circle.

More than a decade ago, I met Amanda and Cosmo. Amanda had funded some of the most groundbreaking research in psychedelics through @thebeckleyfoundation . This work could change the world, but not if it stayed in a lab. I went out to try to find some folks who would donate to the foundation with an eye towards commercialization, but nobody bit. There were no funds dedicated to psychedelic biotechs. So in 2016, I created one and called it Bicycle Day Ventures. My mandate was to fund companies led by people with high ethics, a regard for humanity, and a mission to heal as many people as possible. One of my first investments was in Beckley Psytech. Last night, they became AtaiBeckley. Cosmo and his team built exactly the kind of company I had hoped for. What seemed crazy in 2016 is now not crazy at all. That was always my hope. The stigma around psychedelics is changing. Red and Blue states alike are embracing the medicine, and in our lifetimes (assuming you don't die in the next few years), treating mental health will change forever. I thank all the radicals, the rascals, the weirdos, the introverts, the believers who kept the psychedelic flame alive, even during the years when it was hardest to do.

The Hurricane came to town.

Late night meetings.

Breaking News: The Bee Savior Has Arrived! And wanna know the coolest part? We *just invested* in them. 🍯🐝 Quorum Earth, part of IndieBio New York’s Class 9, is creating quite the buzz with their groundbreaking bio-pesticide. This natural solution is taking on the #1 threat to honey bees: the Varroa Destructor Mite. Meet the co-founders, Chris Kantrowitz and Nicholas Naeger. You can tell they’re onto something as they just got accepted into IndieBio led by Stephen Chambers a couple of days ago alongside a world-class cohort. Here’s the facts that got them thinking... 🐝 1. Virus Vector: Varroa mites not only feed on bees but also spread viruses like Deformed Wing Virus, severely impacting bee populations. 🌎 2. Global Spread: Since the 1980s, Varroa mites have infested honey bees worldwide, threatening agricultural pollination. 🌱 3. Bee Resilience: Some bee populations are developing resistance traits, such as grooming behaviours, to combat mite infestations. This is an urgent problem that requires an intervention. And we believe that Chris Kantrowitz and Nicholas Naeger are well-positioned to solve this. Wanna learn more? Drop them a line at [email protected] #SaveTheBees #sustainability #agtech #biopesticides #startups

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4th of July!!!! From the party deck!