As Gunderson Dettmer celebrates clients on the Forbes “30 under 30” list, Emily Zhen reflects on her immigrant family's journey, her unique background spanning biology and finance at Wharton and her early role in healthcare investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Today, she is a principal at Zeal Capital Partners, where she deploys capital to close gaps in health, wealth, and skills. “I think a lot about holistic whole body care, and that involves every aspect of your life. It involves your financial wellbeing, it involves your workplace wellbeing, how you show up at work, and it involves your health,” she tells host Natalie Pierce. Tune in as Emily unpacks Zeal's approach to wellness that connects financial technology, workforce development and healthcare to create lasting impact across generations.

Episode Highlights

Emily's experience as a first-generation American shaped her mission-driven approach to investing, seeing firsthand how economic mobility and education transformed her family's life.
At Zeal Capital Partners, Emily started and leads the healthcare investing vertical and also invests in fintech and future-of-work solutions; as she explains, "holistic whole body care involves every aspect of your life," including financial wellbeing and workplace wellness.
Emily describes how women weren't required to be included in clinical trials until 1993, highlighting the massive healthcare disparities that still exist. It’s vital to include not just women but racial minorities as well in such trials to ensure the science is accurate, she says.
Emily highlights innovative companies in Zeal Capital’s portfolio, including Seven Starling for women's mental health, Icon Savings Plan for portable retirement benefits, and Daivergent for neurodivergent job training.
Emily's "nudge and touch" philosophy emphasizes using AI and technology to enable and augment human relationships rather than replace them, particularly important in healthcare where personal connections with providers remain essential.

💡 Meet Your Host 💡

Name: Natalie Pierce

Organization: Gunderson Dettmer

Connect: LinkedIn

💡 Featured Guest 💡

Name: Emily Zhen

Organization: Zeal Capital Partners

Connect: LinkedIn

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