Webinar

The Next Wave of Innovation: A Fireside Chat with Top Blockchain VCs and Operators

Ray Wu, Richard Widmann, Kinjal Shah, Benjamin Lizana, Jack Statza

Watched this on-demand presentation where we explored the next wave of innovation in Blockchain technology.  The potential of blockchain goes far beyond Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. With the continual evolution toward a more mobile and digital-first society, we believe blockchain is also becoming critical for the coordination of resources and activities by providing ways to record, store, share information about, and exchange assets.

We are pleased to welcome industry-leading Blockchain operators and VCs as we embark on a thorough and examining discussion on what the future holds.

Alumni Ventures Blockchain Fund Managing Partner Ray Wu and Senior Principal Jack Statza will be joined by Richard Widmann, Global Head of Strategy for web3 at Google Cloud; Kinjal Shah, Partner at Blockchain Capital – a Web3-focused fund with over $2 B in AUM; and Benjamin Lizana, Investor at SoftBank focused on the fintech and crypto investment verticals.

Note: You must be accredited to invest in venture capital. Important disclosure information can be found at av-funds.com/disclosures

About your presenters

Ray Wu
Ray Wu

Managing Partner, Blockchain Fund

Ray is a seasoned venture capitalist with over 20 years of investing experience across a wide range of industries and geographies. Before joining Alumni Ventures, Ray was a partner and adviser at several global venture funds focusing on AI, Web3, FinTech and SaaS investment opportunities across the U.S. and Asia Pacific. Earlier, he spent more than 10 years in the corporate venture space: He was the managing director of HP’s new business ventures, responsible for startup technology evaluation, new business incubation, VC relationships, and minority investments, and earlier at Cisco Systems, holding several senior positions leading investment, M&A, internal incubation, and global consulting. Previously, Ray was a managing partner of a leading Internet consulting firm working with Fortune 1000 companies across North America. He earned a dual MBA degree from the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University.

Jack Statza
Jack Statza

Senior Principal, Blockchain Fund

Jack Statza brings deep-tech venture investing expertise across sectors and stages to his work at Alumni Ventures. He was previously an early-stage investor at Allstate Strategic Ventures, the venture capital arm of Allstate Insurance Company, primarily focusing on AI/ML, Blockchain, and Enterprise SaaS. Before Allstate, Jack worked in investment banking at Lazard and at Livingstone in Chicago, executing M&A transactions for technology clients. He was also a consultant at the Northern Trust Company, where he gained a deep understanding of the financial markets that blockchain is beginning to disrupt. Jack has been deeply involved in the blockchain space ever since he first mined Bitcoin in 2010 and is a personal crypto investor in many altcoin projects. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and he is a CFA charterholder.

Richard Widmann
Richard Widmann

Global Head of Strategy for web3 at Google Cloud

 Rich is responsible for developing and executing Google Cloud’s vision dating back to 2019, and works closely with senior leaders across Alphabet on navigating the challenges facing a public company participating in blockchain-based ecosystems with a keen focus on regulatory strategy. Before Google, Rich was a litigator and regulatory lawyer during the ICO boom – during that time, he became a trusted advisor to founders based on his strategic advice navigating various legal and regulatory challenges in the cryptocurrency space.  He is a frequent speaker and author on the intersection between the law and cryptocurrency and is a guest lecturer on cryptocurrency for the Federal Bar Association.

Benjamin Lizana
Benjamin Lizana

Investor at SoftBank

Benjamin is primarily focused on fintech and crypto investment verticals with SoftBank. Prior toSoftBank, he spent 1.5 years at Southern Cross Group, a LatAm PE shop, and before that, he was an investment banker at JPMorgan.

Kinjal Shah
Kinjal Shah

Partner at Blockchain Capital

Kinjal leads Blockchain Capital’s research content strategy, conducts investment diligence, and supports our portfolio companies.  At Blockchain Capital, she takes an interdisciplinary approach to investing in crypto, with a focus on consumer. Prior to joining Blockchain Capital, Kinjal was a Senior Consulting Analyst at Fidelity Investments in Boston. At Fidelity, Kinjal was an integral part of the strategic team developing Fidelity’s blockchain initiatives, as well as the strategy behind new asset management products. Kinjal earned her B.S. in Quantitative Economics from Tufts University, with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Studies. She is an associate member of Broadway Angels, a women’s focused angel investment group. She is a co-founder of Komorebi, an investment DAO funding female and non-binary founders.

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