Early Life
Theresia Gouw was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1968. Due to political unrest against ethnic Chinese, her family immigrated to the United States when she was three years old, settling near Buffalo, New York. She excelled academically, becoming the first person from her high school to attend Brown University, where she studied engineering. She later earned an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1996.
Rise to Success
Gouw's career began with a consulting role at Bain & Company. In 1999, she joined Accel Partners as an investment associate. Over 15 years, she became the firm's first female partner. She played a key role in investments, including Facebook. In 2014, she co-founded Aspect Ventures. In 2019, Gouw co-founded Acrew Capital.
Key Business Strategies
Gouw's success stems from her strategic investments in tech startups. Her focus on early-stage companies and her ability to identify promising ventures have been crucial. Gouw's leadership at Acrew Capital emphasizes diversity and inclusion, which has become a core value, aiming to back overlooked visionaries and build an inclusive culture.
Philanthropy
Gouw is committed to philanthropy, particularly in STEM fields and supporting underrepresented groups. She co-founded All Raise, a nonprofit that aims to increase representation and success for women in venture capital and tech. She played a key role in launching the Diversify Capital Fund to boost equity ownership among underrepresented communities. She donated $1 million to Fisk University.
