Experienced entrepreneur and executive joins Dao Ventures to help with cross-border impact ventures.
Washington, D.C. and Beijing, January 24, 2018 – Dao Ventures today announced the addition of (Mr.) Brian Christie to its Advisory Board. Dao Ventures is a U.S.-China cross-border impact investment consortium with co-headquartered offices in both China and the U.S.. The consortium primarily consists of ACBridge Global Advisors, China Impact Fund, and New Ventures Global.
“Dao Ventures is honored to have Brian Christie join our advisory board,” stated Tao Zhang, Founding Managing Director of Dao Ventures. “Brian has had experience working in many countries of the world and travelled extensively between China and the U.S. in particular, and his work experience encompasses entrepreneurship, impact investing, and executive leadership at esteemed multinational companies. We look forward to his guidance as we explore ways to help U.S. SMEs expand their business and make an impact in China and vice versa.”
Brian Christie is currently CEO of Brainsy Inc., a Washington, D.C.-headquartered venture that offers patented Software as a Service (SaaS) to power knowledge sharing networks for private companies, trade associations, professional societies, franchisors, and other membership organizations. Brainsy is backed by successful entrepreneurs-turned-Angels and is a portfolio company of TomorrowVentures, founded by Alphabet (formerly Google) Chairman, Eric Schmidt.
“The cross-border business collaboration and impact potential of both Chinese and U.S.-based SMEs is enormous, though bridging the two sides has never been a path of least resistance," said Mr. Christie.
“I'll be happy to work with Dao Ventures to help SMEs from both the U.S. and China to cross the Pacific to explore business expansion and investment opportunities. I also believe that Brainsy’s knowledge sharing networks are well positioned to help minimize the friction that inhibits collaboration and commerce between the two countries,” added Mr. Christie.
Tao Zhang was invited to join the esteemed Advisory Board of Brainsy in March, 2017.
About (Mr.) Brian Christie
Brian P. Christie has been an advisor, angel investor, board director, and executive manager for a range of start-up and high growth companies in both the US and abroad. He is currently the CEO of Brainsy Inc, a software company powering knowledge-sharing networks.
His former executive roles include VP of Business Alliances at Promontory Interfinancial Network, LLC where he joined as part of the initial executive team that grew the company’s bank network from zero to 3,000+ US bank clients and assets under management from $0 to $100 billion. He was formerly co-founder of quantumStream Systems, Inc. an internet content and media technology distribution company, and former Director of Asia Pacific Programs for the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise managing a $12 million US-Thai Development Partnership fund.
Former director and advisor roles include board director of LTVtrade, an online platform for real estate asset trading (sold to an affiliate of the Intercontinental Exchange); advisory board member to M2Z Networks, a nationwide 4G Wireless new entrant which raised over $20 million in equity and over $100 million in contingent equity capital; advisory board member to TMA Solutions, a Vietnamese software company during growth from 100 to 900+ employees. Former volunteer positions include his role as President of the US-based Global Telecommunications Society, and as a two-year volunteer instructor at a teacher’s college in Thailand (through WorldTeach / Harvard University’s Center for International Development).
His countries of work experience include China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
He has an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA in political science from Miami University.
About Dao Ventures
Dao Ventures is a Sino-U.S., cross-border group of impact-oriented companies and affiliates encompassing ACBridge Global Advisors, ACBridge Capital Advisors, China Impact Fund, New Ventures Global, and its affiliate not-for-profit program Green Startups Accelerator (formerly New Ventures China) housed at the Beijing-based Institute for Environment and Development. The various entities of Dao Ventures have so far made and/or facilitated investments of over $200 million into China’s environmental small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). More information is at: http://www.daoventures.com.