Let's Grab Coffee Podcast ☕ · 2026-02-16 · 46 min
Varvara Alva is a finance, strategy, and operations executive with 25+ years of experience scaling high-growth technology companies and leading successful public and private exits. She is an active investor and advisor to Chicago-based startups, deeply involved in the local startup ecosystem through 1871 and Techstars, and a passionate advocate for advancing women in business and finance. Based in Chicago, Varvara currently serves as CFO & COO of Avidbots, a rapidly scaling autonomous robotics company expanding across the U.S. Previously, she was CFO of SpotHero and BenchPrep, and helped scale Gogo from $36M to over $700M in revenue, culminating in a successful IPO. She is known for her expertise in strategic finance, capital raising, and building high-performing, collaborative teams that turn vision into execution.
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