Patrick Leblond

From Uber to Foundational Industries At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton sat down with Rachel Holt, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Construct Capital, to explore how venture capital is fueling the next era of supply chain innovation. Construct Capital, now six years old, was founded in early 2020 with a bold thesis: transform foundational industries that represent nearly half of GDP: supply chain, logistics, manufacturing, mobility, infrastructure, and defense. When the fund launched, Holt recalls many skeptics asking whether supply chain and logistics were truly venture-scale opportunities. It echoed what she heard when she joined Uber in 2011, when transportation was considered slow moving and heavily regulated. Yet Uber went on to redefine personal logistics. Her final years at Uber brought a pivotal lesson. While the rides business operated with second-by-second visibility, the company’s e-bike and scooter supply chain operated in near darkness. Products shipped from China would disappear for weeks at sea, briefly reappear at ports, then stall again in customs. “We had no visibility, we had no ability to reroute,” Holt shared, as this Eureka moment would go on to help shape her investment focus.   The Visibility Gap at the Seams Supply chain, Holt emphasized, is not monolithic.…

Special Guest Blog Post written by Memory Mathema   Tackling climate change is one of the defining challenges of our lifetime. Understanding the implications of decarbonization is imperative to eliminating the risks that come with taking a complacent approach. Our responsibility lies in understanding the impact of our operations and acknowledging the escalating urgency to transition to a carbon neutral future and reduce the environmental footprint of all business undertakings. This is not only right for individual organizations but for the good of the whole society. South Africa ranks 14th globally in carbon emissions and stands as Africa’s leading polluter. The nation’s energy intense economy highlights its crucial role in spearheading efforts to reduce the continent’s carbon footprint and achieve net zero goals. Outdated energy generation methods, particularly coal reliance for 80% of energy needs, overshadow the country’s vast potential in hydrogen, solar and wind power. Both public and private sectors are recognizing the need for sustainable alternatives and are transitioning towards greener energy sources, fostering a shift towards sustainable carbon neutral supply chains. Addressing Scope 3 emissions, which constitute a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, is necessary to delivering carbon neutrality across operations. Organizations must entrench an…