Vlad Loktev, a former Airbnb executive, and his family emigrated from Lithuania. He was nine years old when they settled in Brooklyn, and he recalls needing to adapt and figuring out how to survive after having to abandon everything he knew. Loktev has always been curious and juggled multiple interests—he says his previous career aspirations included actor, singer, and professional gamer (which is how he learned the English language). More recently, Loktev told me, he bought a piano and started teaching himself how to play, beginning with reading sheet music.
But, it was professional curiosity that led him to his latest chapter: joining Index Ventures as its newest partner, where his primary investing focus will be on the consumer side. And, it seems that lessons he’s learned at Airbnb over his 10-year stint, working alongside the company’s cofounder and chief executive, Brian Chesky, will be a push in the right direction as Loktev searches for promising founders.
