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Sarah Chen is an investor, entrepreneur & executive. Named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Sarah’s career spans across venture capital (VC) and innovation, in Asia and the US. She is Co-Founder of The Billion Dollar Fund for Women, a global consortium of venture funds that have now pledged to invest and are actively deploying beyond $1 billion towards women-founded companies, to begin to address the venture investment gap where women founders receive less than 3% of total VC funding.
Going Beyond The Billion, her mission is now to catalyze capital deployed to these venture funds, ensuring their continued capacity to invest by mobilizing limited partner investors - from institutions to family offices. Previously, she pioneered a corporate venture capital unit within $13Bn publicly traded Asian conglomerate, Sime Darby, investing in later-stage biotechnology companies. Since then, she has been at the forefront of multi-million cross border investments, structuring and executing commercialization plans for her portfolio companies.
Named Forbes 30 Under 30, she is a recognized speaker and adviser on VC/innovation and women in leadership, having been featured among others on Der Spiegel, the Wall Street Journal, and at the United Nations.
Driven by a mission to fuel women's power and influence, she currently sits on multiple boards including 131 & counting, a bipartisan effort backed by Bloomberg Government to encourage more qualified women to run for office in the US; and Lean In Malaysia, which she co-founded, a platform accelerating women into leadership, recognized as the voice of credibility for professional women issues in Muslimmajority Malaysia. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws, LL.B (Hons.) from King’s College London.
Speech Topics
CORPORATE VENTURE CAPITAL: REAL DEAL OR LIP SERVICE?
The role of corporate investors, from private and government conglomerates, and regional players, has changed significantly. From private equity beneficiaries in their infancy, to strong partners in co-investments and exits, these companies have grown into leading enterprises. Now, many have created dedicated investment platforms and sector-focused funds to leverage their industry expertise. How will this trend impact the evolution of Asia?
POWER AND INFLUENCE: WOMEN FUNDING WOMEN
In all spectrums of investment, women are still underrepresented – only 12% of VCs are women; and women and people of color only manage 1.3% of US financial assets. Meanwhile, research shows that women institutional money managers bring valuable perspective to investment decision-making. What does it take to change the game and why are institutions and larger brands now paying attention?
WOMEN ON THE RISE: THE NEXT WAVE
Beneath the recent headlines of the movement for gender equality, is the true business case for investing in women. From increased innovation and improved returns, against the backdrop of a changing landscape of wealth, Sarah draws upon her work in venture capital, and as Co-Founder of The Billion Dollar Fund for Women, providing unique insights into the largest arbitrage opportunity of our lifetime.
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