Announcing Alexis Maciel’s Promotion to Principal
We have exciting news at Unshackled Ventures! Today, we are announcing the promotion of Alexis (Ale) Maciel to Principal. This milestone reflects our commitment to building a world-class team dedicated to supporting immigrant founders at day zero.
Elevating Excellence: Ale’s Promotion to Principal
Since joining Unshackled in 2022, Ale has been a driving force behind some of our most impactful initiatives. She helped launch programs like the Unshackled University Tour - a cross-country series where we met international student entrepreneurs at nearly 80 universities, our Venture Partner Program, and most recently, the inaugural Master’s & PhD Scouts Program (more on that soon!). Each initiative, designed to deepen our reach into untapped and overlooked founder communities.
Ale has also played a central role in driving our investment strategy, supporting founders, and amplifying the impact of our portfolio. Ale has not only helped source and evaluate investments into standout companies like Cache Energy, Endeavor Elements, Civic IQ, and most recently, Destro AI but has also been a trusted partner to many of our teams including Sahay AI, TODAQ Micro, and many others, ensuring they have the funding and guidance needed to navigate the complexities of building a startup in the U.S.
Her instincts and methodical frameworks for identifying exceptional founders combined with her dedication to their success have made her a trusted partner within our portfolio and an essential member of our team.
“Ale has this rare mix of warmth and strength. Her positive energy is constant, and she shows up fully whether it's to offer support or stand with you when things get hard. She's been a steady guide for me and a big reason the company has kept moving forward.”
“Ale is one of the most empathetic and thoughtful investors you can have on this crazy journey of building a company! So incredibly blessed to have her on our side.”
— Sonic Prabhudesai, Stealth
A Journey That Fuels the Work
Growing up in a small town outside Guadalajara, Mexico, Ale moved to the U.S. at the age of 10. Her first lessons in entrepreneurship came from watching her family run their restaurant business in Guadalajara and from watching her family navigate a new country, start again and build from scratch, and then face every uphill with grit and resourcefulness.
That lived experience isn’t just part of her story; it’s the foundation of her work. It’s why she’s drawn to underestimated founders. Why she knows talent is everywhere, even if opportunity isn’t. And why she’s spent her entire career, prior and during Unshackled, opening doors for others, both through her investments and the communities she builds.
Her impact in our industry also extends beyond Unshackled. As a board member of SomosVC, Ale leads the organization’s Breaking Into Venture Fellowship, helping to create pathways for the next generation of diverse investors. Her efforts have already helped fellows secure roles at funds like Norwest, Primary, Reach Capital, among others.
With her promotion to Principal, Ale will continue to shape the future of our industry and Unshackled, deepening our support for founders, refining our investment approach, and ensuring that our community continues to reflect our core values.
“Ale’s promotion to Principal reflects a standard she’s already been living. She’s helped shape our largest investments, built our most enduring sourcing strategies, and consistently shown up for founders with trust, care, and conviction. Her drive is self-set, her bar is high, and her impact is felt across every part of our firm. This is the immigrant ambition we were built to support and we’re lucky to have her leading the way.”
— Manan Mehta, Founding Partner, Unshackled Ventures
Unshackled Ventures — Immigrants Start Here
About Unshackled Ventures:
Unshackled Ventures is the only early-stage venture capital fund that enables unrecognized and excluded immigrant founders to start companies in the U.S. Since its founding in 2014, Unshackled has proven its thesis that investing and supporting this population drives strong investment returns across key industries, including American infrastructure, generative AI, healthcare, space, and enterprise SaaS. To date, the firm has invested in over 100 companies and over 250 entrepreneurs.
Congrats Ale!