Very excited to share with you this episode. For the first time in Smart Money history, we will be having a guest on the show. Born in Taipei Taiwan, this absolute powerhouse of a human being embodies not only resilience in the face of adversity but lives as testament to what hard work, a growth mindset, and perseverance can accomplish in this country.
Moving to the US in the 8th grade barely speaking a word of English, she very quickly scaled the learning curve to not only learn but master the education system - gaining entry into MIT’s prestigious engineering program. Casual, I know. Despite coping with the passing of her father her very first year of university, she persevered and graduated not only with a bachelor’s but a master’s as well focusing on computer science and artificial intelligence.
From there she brought her talents to Silicon Valley first working as a product manager for a Google X Spinoff using her machine learning skillset before starting her own startup, HearInsight, which used Natural Language Processing to convert spoken word into written text. Although not ultimately successful, her startup drew attention and funding from some of the top Venture firms in the Valley. She went on to become the youngest partner ever at one of the most prestigious $3.5bn Venture Capital Firms in the world, Foundation Capital, which has a track record of investing in companies like Netflix when there were only 10 employees. The firm has also been a beacon of female representation in a space historically dominated by men.
She is currently enrolled in Stanford getting her Master’s in Business Administration all while running her own venture fund, Formulate Ventures. I think what you’ll come to see from our conversation is that success is never a linear path. Although one of the most successful business people of her generation, her life has been riddled by setbacks, self-doubt, and hardships – showing that it’s ultimately how we choose to move forward that matters. I am both honored and humbled to welcome to the show – Morgan Lai.
Smart Money is a podcast recorded by Dean Thomas, a former investment analyst at Goldman Sachs and the Blackstone Group who quit the corporate life in 2019 to backpack the world, start his own business, and explore spirituality. None of this should be construed as investment advice but rather education and entertainment as a fellow participant in this unprecedented marketplace. We hope you enjoy :)
