Chinedu Udeogu subscribes to the 1% rule. 

The rule, which Chinedu learned from his favorite coach, is simple: “Try to be 1% better today than you were the day before—in the gym, at practice, as a competitor, at work, at home, and in life.” The advice stuck and has helped him succeed in roles as a Division 1 athlete, Masters candidate, and, most recently, investor.  

“The 1% rule applies to my work in VC because in order to become a great investor, one must try to foster a culture and mindset of continuous improvement and resilience,” Chinedu reflects. “This leads to a growth mindset, better investment outcomes, and sustained success in the competitive VC ecosystem.”

We’re thrilled to welcome Chinedu to the 53 Stations team as an Investor based in Chicago. In fact, he is returning ‘home’ to the area. After being born in Chicago, Chinedu spent much of his childhood in Nigeria before attending high school in Maryland. Chinedu arrives at 53 Stations from M12, where he closed deals and invested across infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise SaaS at the Seed to Series C stages. 

Prior to M12, Chinedu was an investment banker at Credit Suisse, advising on M&A, IPO, and Private Placement deals within the technology and industrials sectors. He holds a B.S. from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and an M.S. in Data Analytics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he also played football. 

The fact that Chinedu values “sustained success” and steady, consistent improvement is no surprise to his colleagues and teammates. Often praised for being calm under pressure, Chinedu’s level head is a welcome antidote to the volatility of VC life. “Investors, entrepreneurs, and colleagues are more likely to trust and rely on someone who remains calm and collected, especially in stressful situations. This trust is essential for building strong, long-term relationships,” he said.

At 53 Stations, Chinedu will focus on identifying and supporting transformative companies across our core sectors, with a particular emphasis on technology-enabled solutions in the built world, healthcare, wealth management, and restaurant operations. He will also leverage his technical background to help advance the firm’s operational capabilities through AI and automation initiatives.

“I’m excited to join 53 Stations because I’ll have the opportunity work with partners who have first-hand experiences of being founders and leaders of high growth teams/startups, as well as the opportunity to invest through a platform – TPO – that has a deep network of operators and investors, adding value to startups from day one.”

53 Stations welcomes Chinedu to the team.