Beatrice Lion: From No-Pay Intern to Global VC, Betting Early on AI & Blockchain – E662

Beatrice Lion, General Partner and CEO of True Global Ventures, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how early conviction, long cycles, and hands-on learning shaped her path from finance student to venture capital leader. They explore why blockchain and AI only look obvious in hindsight, how decentralization solves real risks created by centralized platforms, and why hype often masks weak demand rather than weak technology. The conversation covers building a venture fund from self-funded roots to institutional scale, navigating fundraising and regulation, and what it takes to grow as an investor across multiple market cycles. Beatrice also shares how staying in one firm for years can still mean many different careers, and why resilience and judgment matter more than timing.

02:52 A no-pay internship reshaped career direction: Shadowing a GP showed how small actions, like one introduction, could determine a startup’s survival.

04:11 Venture capital felt more meaningful than banking: Direct impact on founders and companies mattered more than prestige or salary.

13:20 Decentralization drove blockchain conviction: Seeing Animoca lose its business overnight to a centralized platform clarified the risk of single gatekeepers.

16:33 Technology does not create demand: Tokenization only works when real markets already exist, not when assets lack buyers.

22:22 Market crashes build resilient founders: Repeated crypto downturns filtered out weak actors and strengthened surviving teams.

29:00 Eight years in one fund meant many roles: Beatrice moved across portfolio support, fundraising, regulation, and investment decisions without stagnation.

41:20 Leadership required personal courage under scrutiny: As a young CEO, Beatrice led a long MAS licensing process while managing deep self-doubt.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/beatrice-lion-application-layer-advantage

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