As founding partners step back, a new Real Ventures prepares to raise its next fund The transition of founding partners Alan MacIntosh and JS Cournoyer to board partner roles is the latest in a series of ‘changing of the guard’ moments that signal Real Ventures’ transformation and pose new questions about the venture firm’s future prospects. The decision was announced last week by Real, though MacIntosh and Cournoyer officially stepped back from their partner roles as of January 1. Part of Real’s founding team, alongside John Stokes, who remains a partner with the firm, the pair both expressed the desire to stay connected with Real while working on other projects.