Inside the Gen Z Shark Tank where influencers are becoming venture investors

Last Monday, the impossible happened: I attended a venture capital event where I didn’t hear the terms “AI moat” or “application layer software” a single time. Instead, in between bites of sashimi and suspiciously sweet flavored water, about two dozen tech-curious influencers and self-described content creators gathered to hear pitches on aggressively non-AI-based companies, including a service that turns cherished remains into diamonds and a beverage startup. 

We spend a lot of time...