500 Startups provides early-stage companies with up to $250K in funding, our startup accelerator program, and unique events like SmashSummit, UnSexy, and GeeksOnaPlane. With hundreds of experienced startup mentors around the world, our creative work space in the heart of Silicon Valley, and a vibrant community of startup founders, we help companies succeed in ways other venture firms do not. We are 500. Watch our video.
Dave uses his uncanny ability to function without sleep and frequent flyer miles to discover amazing geeks and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and around the world. Dave's ominous past includes work at Founders Fund, Facebook fbFund, PayPal, Mint.com, and Simply Hired. Dave blogs & rants @ 500hats.com.
Christine can herd pugs like no other. Before 500, she was at Google and YouTube for many years. Almost two decades ago, she fell in love with the web and built her first website on Geocities (to this day, even remembering the now-defunct URL). Christine also serves as 500's artistic director & choreographer.
Christen heads up Business Development & Corporate Partnerships. She is fluent in geek, though she admittedly was part of the “other” outcast lunch table: the nerds. Before 500, she was the founder of reWIRED events + worked in sectors like investment banking, law, healthcare, and non-profit. She spends free time with her husband and their blue Great Dane, Virginia Woof.
George used to be a firefighter (a real one) but now helps 500 start fires and change the way startups get launched, funded, and grown. Prior to 500 he held senior positions at Dell Japan, Experian Interactive, and Yahoo Japan. He's also a recovering attorney, but makes up for it by surfing and snowboarding as much as he can.
Bedy uses her multi-cultural powers to find startups and partners for 500 in Brazil / Latin America, as she catalyzes the startup ecosystem there via Brazil Innovators. Using Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin & German as her weapons, she is infecting all corners of the world with the Silicon Valley mindset.
Parker likes to help startups in any way he can, but he will respect a restraining order if you're going to be like that. Parker is usually right, except when he's left. His illustrious past includes building startups at Pivotal Labs, co-founding PlaceSite, preserving the interwebs at the Internet Archive, and wonking on digital copyright at UC Berkeley's iSchool. Go Bears.
Adam works with 500's partners and investors to keep them happy, and he also supports back office operations. He was previously part of the founding team at SharesPost and led business development at Evite. Adam's claim to fame is three-peating as fantasy baseball champion, much to the chagrin of his friends.
Paul has mastered the art of the hustle and has the extraordinary ability to extract a business model from a rock. Also from startups. Prior to 500, he was the founder of a handful of his own startups and spent some time at PBworks, AOL and Symantec.
César has been a tech entrepreneur for over a decade. Before joining 500 Startups, he co-founded Mexican.VC in Mexico City. Underneath his investor skin lives a passionate interaction designer with an engineering degree who really likes to mess with code. He sucks at running, but has already scored a marathon.
Santiago has been coding since he was a child. Before he invented peanut butter, he was a co-founder of Mexican.VC and organizer for Startup Weekend in Mexico. He enjoys geeking out with LatAm startups, and came in 2nd at the International Suez Canal Anagram championships. If you're ever in Mexico City, ask him for a tour of street food tasting.
Pankaj regularly kicks ass & takes names of Desi founders to help build a vibrant startup ecosystem in India. When he isn't busting the chops of noob startups or predatory angel investors, or firing up Startup Weekend in Bangalore or Mumbai, you will find him devouring unsuspecting vegetables at Delhi’s best vegetarian sushi joint.
Shai seduces innocent Padawan founders with the Dark Side of the Force. Prior to 500, he apprenticed with other Sith Lords ruling over evil financial services kingdoms, most recently at Silicon Valley Bank. Shai hangs with his wife, daughter and 2 Yorkies in the Concrete Jungle. He also snowboards, kiteboards, and hoops like a boss.
Khailee is the co-founder of GroupsMore (acquired by Groupon) and SAYS.com, a profitable social news company based in Malaysia, and recently began angel investing. Accolades include "HSBC Young Entrepreneur of the Year", "Best in Asia," and "Over-energetic karaoke mic hog". He joins 500 as the first entrepreneur-in-residence and Southeast Asian brother.
Rui recruits and trains savvy and resourceful startup operatives for 500 in Greater China. Previously Rui was under deep cover at corporations such as Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and most recently the Raine Group. When she is not on active assignment, she can be found brewing vegetable poisons and learning the covert arts from her cats.
Greg is the new sheriff in town, overseeing 500's legal needs and making sure everyone stays on the right side of the law. He's an attorney by trade, but a geek at heart. When not successfully dispelling the stereotype of lawyers, Greg enjoys snowboarding, scuba diving and photography.
David keeps the money safe and makes sure that no one goes to jail. In prior lives, David has worked for Barclays Bank in London and New York, Silicon Valley Bank, PayPal and BlueRun Ventures.
Anita helps 500 keep their books in order and investors happy. Prior to 500, Anita worked for Almaz Capital Partners and Floodgate Ventures. She obtained her accounting qualification in England (ACCA). An accountant by day and Bohemian by night, Anita loves nature, yoga and meditation, dancing, writing and theater.
Melissa manipulates time and space like a pro... and without a TARDIS. Juggling is another ready skill in her repertoire along with an uncanny ability to function as Dave's GPS locator. If there's something you need, just ask! (nicely)
Sheila is events ninja for 500 conferences, demo days, and GeeksOnaPlane tours. She also manages sponsor benefits and hooks up the 500 Mafia with sweet deals. In addition to logistics kung-fu, she loves cooking, dancing & hiking the great outdoors.
Max is the hidden genius behind all the requests the 500 family makes. When not keeping the 500 world at large safe, like a true super hero, he cycles cross country, trains elephants and rescues puppies.
Bruna (aka "Bru") is the events & content maven for 500 conferences. She has been kickstarting conferences since her college days with TEDxBU and later Skillshare's Penny Conference. In addition to being an events whiz, Bru loves jumping waterfalls, spinning & catching up on Modern Family!
Sabrina is the organizing djinn for 500 conferences, demo days and GeeksOnaPlane tours. Previously she was an intern at the White House, where she successfully prevented international dental flossing catastrophes. When Sabrina isn’t organizing and planning, you can find her in the Gold Country on her family run olive oil farm, Hundred Acre Olive Oil.
Mark spreads the 500 message all over the world using a deadly combination of social media, PR and baked goods. Before 500, he spent time at sexy enterprise startup Box. An aspiring Warby Parker model, he can frequently be seen wearing his favorite hipster glasses while biking around San Francisco.
Paulina is the evil mind behing the events in the 500 Mexico city Hub, organizing and planning events like 7x7 and Demo Day. In her previous life, she was involved in all sorts of events about entrepreneurship and tech. Her secret talent is doing funny voices.
Itzel is a master networker, she can use her deep observation and knowledge to understand any social situation and connect with the right people, follow up like a boss and nurture great relationships with investors and partners. When she is not on duty you can find her on the Mexican pacific shores.
Matt helps 500's portfolio companies understand their analytics and get more people to their product by any means necessary. His best strategy so far has been carrier pigeons. When not helping startups, Matt can be found running after his dog on the beach while she chases birds (carrier pigeon recruitment?).
Plus Eight Star
AOL
O'Reilly Radar
Intel Capital
Lean Startup
Votizen
Clover
SlideShare Inc
Visual.ly
4-Hour Workweek
Freejit
Bionic Panda Games / SoftTech
The Designer Fund
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