Behind every successful company is a strategy that turns innovation into execution. In this Q&A, Keystone International Ventures Chief Strategy Officer Marcie Cheney shares her leadership philosophy and insights on building companies that create lasting value.
Date
July 8, 2026
Author
Sophia Gatewood
Q: Tell us about your career journey and what brought you to Keystone
A: I've spent my entire career in technology, focused on the business side of innovation – growth, strategy, partnerships, marketing, and market expansion. Over more than 20 years, I've had the opportunity to work across growth, transformation, and emerging technologies in complex federal and commercial environments.
Earlier in my career, success was often defined by the next opportunity or the next leadership role. Over time, that perspective evolved. At this stage of my career, I was looking for a new opportunity that would challenge me to think more broadly. I wanted to continue working with cutting-edge technologies while helping companies grow across multiple industries – from technology to healthcare, hospitality, and infrastructure. Keystone offered exactly that: the chance to combine strategy, innovation, and company building in a way that few organizations can.
That's what ultimately brought me to Keystone. It's not a traditional investment platform – it's focused on building companies, not just funding them. Equally important was the opportunity to reunite with my boss and mentor of nearly 20 years, along with several members of our former executive leadership team. There was already a foundation of trust, shared values, and a proven ability to build together, which made joining Keystone an easy decision.
Joining Keystone felt like a full-circle moment because it brought me back to what first inspired me about the technology industry – helping innovative companies grow from great ideas into successful businesses. I started my career in technology public relations, working with early-stage companies to shape their messaging, define their market strategy, and position themselves for growth, investment, and ultimately exit. Today, as Chief Strategy Officer at Keystone, I'm still doing many of those same things – just from a different seat at the table. I now have the opportunity to work directly with founders, investors, and leadership teams to identify and scale emerging technologies in areas like AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and advanced digital platforms.
Q: Keystone often talks about partnership. What does that mean in practice?
A: When we talk about partnership at Keystone, we mean being actively engaged with founders. We're not operating from a distance – we're working alongside leadership teams on strategy, execution, and helping unlock the relationships and capabilities needed to move the business forward. It's alignment, shared accountability, and a true operating mindset.
Q: Many investors provide capital. Why does Keystone believe in taking a more active role with portfolio companies?
A: One lesson that's shaped my leadership style is realizing that great leaders don't have to have all the answers. Early in my career, I thought leadership meant always having the solution. Experience taught me that the best leaders ask thoughtful questions, listen carefully, and bring together people with different perspectives. That approach has made me a better partner to founders because every company is different, and the best solutions are built collaboratively. I've also learned that some of the best opportunities come from staying curious. Every new industry, company, or technology teaches you something different, and that willingness to keep learning has been one of the most valuable parts of my career.
I also enjoy helping bridge the gap between technical innovation and real-world business value – making sure strong technologies actually reach the markets and industries they're designed to serve. Some of the most exciting innovations don't fail because the technology isn't good enough – they fail because they never find the right market, the right customers, or the right execution strategy. Great technology alone doesn't create impact. The companies that succeed are the ones that consistently connect innovation to a real customer need and execute against it.
Q: What are the biggest challenges founders face as they scale, and where can investors make the greatest impact?
A: We take an active role because capital alone doesn't solve most scaling challenges. The issues that slow companies down are usually execution, focus, and access. Our goal is to reduce friction in those areas, provide objective perspective, and help leadership teams make better, faster decisions where they matter most.
One of the biggest challenges I see for founders is the transition from founder-led execution to building a scalable organization. That shift requires difficult prioritization – not just deciding what to pursue, but what to stop doing. As companies grow, balancing speed with structure becomes one of the hardest dynamics to manage well.
Q: What qualities do you look for in founders and management teams?
A: When I evaluate founders and leadership teams, I'm looking for people with an execution mindset. Great ideas are important, but they're only the starting point. I value integrity, resilience, curiosity, and coachability, along with a deep understanding of the customer problems they're solving. Every company will face setbacks; what matters is how leaders respond, adapt, and keep moving forward.
Q: What excites you most about the future of Keystone?
A: What excites me most about Keystone is the opportunity to build more than a portfolio – we're building an ecosystem. We have the ability to connect founders, operators, investors, customers, and strategic partners in ways that accelerate growth and create opportunities that might not otherwise exist. It's about turning early conviction into durable, long-term platforms and helping innovative companies scale their impact globally.
Q: What's one piece of advice you'd give to founders building a company today?
A: The advice I'd give founders is simple: stay close to your customers. Everything else becomes noise very quickly. Focus matters more than activity, and the strongest companies are built by leaders who can adapt quickly without losing sight of the problem they're solving or the vision they're pursuing.
I've always been energized by learning new industries and understanding how technology can create value in different markets. One of the things I enjoy most about Keystone is the opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio of companies, continually expanding my own perspective while helping founders turn innovation into scalable businesses.