Meet Christine Tsai, CEO and founding partner of venture capital firm 500 Global (previously 500 Startups). 500 Global invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies and has backed over 2,500 companies across 77 countries. Wowza! The firm is particularly near and dear to our hearts, as it’s where Tuckernuck got its start in 2012.
Christine graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was also a dancer and choreographer for Theatre Rice, the university’s first modern Asian American theater group. A mother, culinary enthusiast, and an original friend of and seed investor in Tuckernuck, we are honored to feature her brilliance this month.
INSIDE CHRISTINE’S COMPANY
In 2010, we embarked on a mission that was anchored in the conviction that exceptional founders exist in all corners of the world and that there was a way to de-risk early stage seed investing. That early conviction has resulted in an expansive, diversified global portfolio across many countries, sectors, and stages.
A virtual format has incredible advantages in terms of being able to reach more people and eliminate the hassles and costs of travel.
CHRISTINE AT HOME
Menlo Park is quiet, calm, and a wonderful place to raise a family.
MORE FROM CHRISTINE
You’ve spent your whole career in Silicon Valley, having worked in product marketing at Google and YouTube before 500 Global. Hard-hitting, ultra-original journalistic question: how accurate is the show Silicon Valley?
Truth - I’ve only seen a handful of episodes on the airplane. But the ones I’ve seen were surprisingly not far off from what happens IRL.
Do you think being a global organization was more or less difficult in the last year?
As a global organization, we had the vantage point of how COVID was impacting different countries. For example, as many of us were sheltering in place in the US, colleagues in Asia were still going into the office and dining in restaurants like pre-COVID days.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you about your first impressions of Tuckernuck, which joined your Startup Bootcamp, as they call it, as UScoop.
I loved that they were an all-female founding team. Diverse teams are often overlooked by VCs and as a result, they’re missing out on amazing talented founders and opportunities. The Tuckernuck team was also the best dressed team of the batch.
How would you describe your personal style?
Casual, simple, effortless.
Solids or stripes?
Solids.
CHRISTINE #TUCKERNUCKING
