Careers in VC: Q&A with Christine Tsai

As women in venture, we have the ability to make a direct impact, by putting capital to work and investing in more founders who are building products and taking into account female customers.

Christine Tsai
CEO & Founding Partner, 500 Global

How did you enter the alternatives industry?

The first building block in my career in alternatives actually goes back 20 years. I was a recent college grad and it was right after the dot-com bust. The job market and economy was bleak, but I was still incredibly excited about the internet and emerging web technologies - Web 1.0 as you call it – and I joined what was a small internet company at the time, Google.

What led you to working in venture capital?

It was at Google that I had the opportunity to work on some of the most transformative internet products and with the users of these products. They happened to be developers and website publishers – in other words, startup founders! They were using products that I’d worked on, such as Google AdSense, Google Analytics, YouTube APIs, developer tools and so on. That is what drew me to venture capital – being in a position to back and support these founders, and potentially, the next big products and technologies. In 2010, I left Google to co-found my own VC firm, today known as 500 Global.

Why should women feel empowered to work in alternatives?

Women should feel empowered to work in alternatives, and particularly venture capital, because half of the world’s population is women! Women are increasingly becoming the primary breadwinners in close to or more than 50% of households in many regions around the world. Yet, in so many ways, products and technologies out there don’t take this into account. We remain underserved.

Why is it important for women to work in venture capital?

As women in venture, we have the ability to make a direct impact, by putting capital to work and investing in more founders who are building products and taking into account female customers and female users – not as an afterthought, but from the very beginning. We’re also in a position to disrupt the gender ratio on both sides of the table. VC funding going to female founders - especially underrepresented female founders - as well as bringing more women into the fold, writing checks, and with decision-making authority at VC firms.

500 Global is a venture capital firm with more than $2.7 billion in assets under management that invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies. 500 Global focuses on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth. 500 Global has backed over 5,000 founders representing more than 2,600 companies operating in 81 countries. Their portfolio includes 45 companies valued at over $1 billion and 130+ companies valued at over $100 million.