Dorothy Chang's journey from Long Island to becoming a pivotal figure in the New York tech ecosystem is a story of adaptability, perseverance, and innovation. Growing up with high expectations in a musical family, she found her way into PR and tech, eventually transitioning into venture capital. Dorothy's career highlights include working at renowned firms like Edelman and Brew, co-founding Liberty City Ventures, and playing a crucial role in Foursquare's pivot to a data intelligence company. Currently, she focuses on supporting early-stage founders through Lynx Collective and Next Wave Ventures, leveraging her extensive network and expertise to bridge gaps in the startup ecosystem. Key Takeaways

• Adaptability in Career Shifts: Dorothy's career path showcases the importance of being open to new opportunities and industries, from PR to tech to venture capital.
• Supporting Underrepresented Founders: Through Lynx Collective, Dorothy emphasizes the need to create pathways for diverse founders who might not have direct access to startup ecosystems.
• The Power of Networking Building strong relationships across different sectors has been crucial to Dorothy's success, from PR to venture capital.
• Importance of Mental Health for Founders: Dorothy highlights the often-overlooked aspect of mental health in the startup world and the value of peer support.
• Embracing Technological Change: From the early days of social media to the current AI boom, staying ahead of technological trends has been a consistent theme in Dorothy's career.

Notable Quotes

• • "You don't build company culture by buying a ping pong table. That's not culture."
  • "I tried to give my team so much autonomy that it was too much stress for them."
  • "Founders need to find the people that are going to disagree with them. It's really important."
  • "You have to hustle harder in the startup world and try to make a little something out of nothing."
  • "We're looking for ways to connect founders and investors, making it easier for early-stage founders to get the access they need."