Josephine Chen

I was born in Massachusetts but spent most of my childhood in Taiwan before moving to the Bay Area at age ten. By the time I started college, I had somehow survived the role of being the new kid at seven different schools. For most founders, startup journeys are a story of resilience and adaptability. I want to be there to challenge them in the good times and be a shock absorber in the rough patches.

I strongly believe in immigrant founders: I saw firsthand the sheer tenacity of my parents who built a business while raising two daughters in a country where everything was foreign to them. I viscerally appreciate the challenges and the hopes of those chasing the American Dream—for many immigrants, there is more at stake than just their company.

I nearly drowned as a child. I sobbed all day, and the day after that, I asked to enroll in swimming lessons. There are moments where every founder feels like they’re drowning—I want to be their first call when that happens.

I started doing research in immunology when I was in middle school. I did translational oncology at Genentech, and then studied a new protein target to slow Alzheimer’s in college. At Stanford, I was able to marry my interests in biology with statistics and computer science, and I am excited to meet entrepreneurs innovating at that intersection.

I want to dream with founders. Many times investors miss the seemingly simple ideas that can transform the future that visionary founders are able to see. I meet with entrepreneurs all day, but learning each person’s journey and insights never gets old. The best conversations are the ones that continue to 4AM because we are riffing on each other’s ideas. I want to be able to dream with you.

This will be the century where some of the greatest innovations come at the intersection of biology and computer science. While we are in the early innings of the transformation of healthcare, great companies will emerge as we shift to value-based care, unlock patient data, and expand digital care.

I think there’s still tremendous opportunity in classic, vertical SaaS for entrepreneurs to bring the future forward in traditional industries like healthcare. Software can transform big, legacy industries by unlocking the insights in their data and creating new consumer experiences.

Get in touch with Josephine