FOODIE FAMILY
Food was at the center of all the “regular chaos” in the Roshkoff household. My mom and Nana are both incredible in the kitchen and definitely passed that love of hosting down to me.
PICK YOUR PADDLES
Ideally, I’m starting the day with some kind of racquet sport. Padel is my go-to right now, but I’m always down for squash or tennis, too.
A DISH FOR EVERY PERSON
Once I hosted a 20-person dinner party in my apartment—we barely fit everyone in. In total, we made 21 dishes completely from scratch and served four separate courses. The whole operation required a tremendous amount of planning, prep, and thoughtful execution.
Between the VMG team and the entrepreneurs we invest in, I am thrilled to learn from people who live and breathe what they do.
Let’s start at the beginning. What was young Blake like?
Very curious, and not great at sitting still. Constantly asking my parents questions. And really into sports. Between tennis, baseball, and squash, my mom was always schlepping me all over creation.
Wait, squash? That’s not your everyday youth sport.
I’ve always loved it. Still do. Padel is my go-to right now, but I’m always down for squash or tennis, too.
Cool. Okay, back to your childhood, which sounds like it was busy.
It was! There was always a lot going on in the Roshkoff household, between my two older sisters and me, athletic events, hosting holidays, and regular chaos. And food was at the center of it all.
Tell me more about that.
Well, my parents hosted every Jewish holiday, so I spent plenty of time in the kitchen getting in the way while trying to help. My dad runs a market research firm and was constantly bringing home new products he was testing or had discovered on trips. And my grandfather ran a packaged food business, which meant factory visits and taste tests were just a part of growing up.
It sounds like a movie! Were you “helping” in the kitchen because you had to or wanted to?
Oh I loved it. My mom and Nana are both incredible in the kitchen and definitely passed that interest down to me. In college, I went all in on cooking and spent a lot of time arranging multi-course dinner parties and trying out new cuisines my friends would request.
Lucky friends!
Once I hosted a 20-person dinner party in my apartment—we barely fit everyone in. I built the menu around one of my favorite restaurants, Zahav. In total, we made 21 dishes completely from scratch and served four separate courses. The whole operation required a tremendous amount of planning, prep, and thoughtful execution.
Sounds like you’re not a guy who does things halfway.
Definitely not! And that’s what I like about working at VMG. You can always tell the difference when someone truly cares and is giving something their all—that kind of energy is contagious. Between the VMG team and the entrepreneurs we invest in, I love learning from people who live and breathe what they do.
One last thing: I notice that you love food and also squash: a sport that sounds like a food.
Wow, you’re right. I suppose it’s inevitable that I’ll get deeply into pickleball at some point.
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