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⭐ Highlights from Oscar Wong’s AMA
(edited for clarity)

What excites you the most about Gold House?

I’ve been with Gold House Ventures for over two years, drawn by a collaborative, down-to-earth team fully rooted in the Asian Pacific community. While Asian founders get 17% of venture funding, Black and Brown founders receive less than 3%. We focus on economic empowerment by supporting underrepresented founders at the pre-seed and seed stages, backed by top Asian founders and executives.

What are the biggest areas of opportunity in AAPI representation in business?

AAPI founders still face challenges securing venture funding, especially in later rounds. Asian American women, in particular, are least likely to be promoted to senior roles. At Gold House, we’re proud of our board diversity initiative, the One House Leadership Coalition, which has placed 70 diverse board directors across companies. We aim to drive progress in partnership with Black and Hispanic communities.

What type of companies are you looking for?

We focus on founding teams with at least one Asian Pacific founder building in tech, tech-enabled services, or businesses like eCommerce and SaaS. While we don’t focus on CPG or consumer as much, our upcoming accelerator will target NYC-based founders, in partnership with the NYC Economic Development Corporation. The 14-week program, starting in 2025, includes master classes, pitch practice, and a demo day with the Gold House community.

What do you think that most successful companies share?

Our portfolio includes companies like Sanzo Sparkling Water, Emi Eats, Emi Ramen, and Fly by Jing. Many of these brands stem from personal stories, which flow into their marketing, messaging, and positioning. The key to building a brand is telling the story—why you’re the best to represent it, and how you show there’s a market demand. Embracing digital channels, eCommerce, and influencer marketing is vital for success.

What are key traits you look for in founders?

At early stages, I look for emotional discipline in founders. We’ve seen founders pivot or shift their target audience, and it’s crucial to be scrappy and disciplined in testing and experimentation. In today’s market, it’s easy to make impulsive decisions. We seek founders who stay calm, level-headed, and can handle the highs and lows. Those with discipline get our full support as they scale and raise future rounds.

Any advice for a founder in the beginning of their journey?

Focus on a problem you truly understand and are passionate about. We don’t expect significant traction at the early stages—many ideas are still in development. When evaluating candidates, we want to see that you’re passionate about what you’re doing, fully understand the problem space, and grasp the market. Your personal connection to the idea matters more than early success.

For the full AMA, click here.

📺 Past AMAs

Missed any of our previous AMAs? No worries! You can catch up on all the guests here.

• Will Drewery, Founder and CEO at Diagon (AI-powered procurement platform)

• Gaurav Seth, Founder and CEO at PierSight Space (maritime surveillance using satellites)

• Tejes Srivalsan, Founder and CEO at Poppin (event-based social media)

• Christie Marchese, Founder and CEO at Kinema (film distribution platform)

• Michael Kapps, Founder and CEO at Sanii (longevity and lifestyle for the elderly)

• Ahmed Mirza, Investor at Techstars Los Angeles (leading startup accelerator)

• Clara Hong, Founder and CEO at Smore (B2B form building platform)

• Luiza Justus, Founder and CCO at Supersocial (gaming for the metaverse)

• Mark Linao, General Partner at Progression Fund (early stage consumer VC)

• David Yi, General Partner at Ethos Fund (early stage VC in Vietnam and the US)

• Fay Wells, Angel Investor and VC in Residence at Techstars

• Christian Dorffer, General Partner at Defiance Capital (early stage VC fund in AI)

• Brent Murri, Partner at M13 (leading consumer VC fund)

• Jorge Garcia, Founder and CEO at Linker Finance (financial platform for community banks)

• Bodin Scepanovic, Partner at SparkLabs Saudi Arabia (startup accelerator in the Middle East)

• Adam Lebovitz, Consumer Investor at BAM Ventures (early stage fund in LA)

• Lucas James, Founder at MenloIQ (Gamified AI Sales Trainer)

• Shane Neman, Investor at Neman Ventures (backer of Impossible Foods, Flexport, Athletic Greens, and more)

• Mike Chen & Lena Zhang, Founders at Cohere Commerce (B2B reviews for CPG buyers and sellers)

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