Building Bridges Between Innovators and Investors

Charlie Lieu

Charlie is a technologist, scientist, unicorn builder, and venture capitalist with a track record of transforming ambitious ideas into reality. With a background in software engineering, data science, M&A, and venture investment, she has led multi-million-dollar strategic initiatives, conducted multi-billion-dollar diligences, and developed some of the world's largest open data systems. As co-founder of the unicorn startup AirTerra, Charlie has built and scaled businesses from inception to exit, applying her expertise in M&A, technology development, and research to drive high-impact growth. She has worked with Fortune 100 companies such as Merck and J&J, bringing a rigorous, data-driven approach to strategic decision-making.

Robin Lien

Expertise: M&A, Venture Capital,  Big Data, Logistics, Admin Ops

Beyond corporate leadership, Charlie has founded, advised, or diligenced dozens of startups, leveraging proprietary frameworks to guide feasibility studies, fundraising, and operational scaling. With deep expertise in logistics, finance, and venture ecosystems, Charlie’s ability to turn an idea sketched on a napkin into a thriving company makes her a sought-after partner for investors and founders looking to build and scale groundbreaking ventures.

Charlie’s education spans multiple degrees in computer science, engineering, biology, and business from MIT and Texas A&M.

Expertise: Go-to-Market, Marketing, Operations, Talent Management

Robin Lien is a proven leader in scaling customer and revenue growth within global consumer markets, specializing in go-to-market strategies, digital marketing, and commercial expansion. Through her partnerships with CMOs and CDOs across Fortune 100 companies, Robin grew her enterprise practice at Google by over $1 billion in annual revenue. From startups to public companies, she orchestrates sophisticated, data-driven strategies to implement, test and measure across brand and performance for acquisition or lead generation initiatives. She is a recognized thought leader in planning frameworks, technology dependencies (e.g. CRM, big data, cloud), global privacy data regulations (e.g., GDPR vs. CCPA), and the application of first- and third-party data.

Robin leverages her operational and go-to-market expertise to drive efficient growth for startups, providing strategic audits and tech stack optimization. She also conducts rigorous due diligence for Northwest VCs and family offices, assessing commercial viability for targeted investments. Beyond her advisory work, Robin serves as Vice Chair at Seattle Foundation, a $1.5 billion philanthropic bank, and as a board member at Community Roots Housing, a $500 million affordable housing developer.

Passionate about community and mentorship, she volunteers as a Wilderness Ranger and coaches business students at the University of Washington, her alma mater.

Shanti Punokollu

Shanti is a strategy and product leader with a background in engineering, product development, and startup growth. She specializes in evaluating early-stage companies, assessing product-market fit, and helping founders refine their business models and investor narratives. With experience in angel investing and advising startups, Shanti works closely with founders to analyze market positioning, competitive dynamics, and go-to-market strategies. She helps teams strengthen their fundraising approach, optimize unit economics, and develop scalable growth plans.

Her career includes leadership roles at Microsoft and Amazon, where she worked on building and scaling products, leading cross-functional teams, and driving business transformation.

Expertise: Operations, Product, Strategy,    Business Development

The experience gained at these companies provided a foundational understanding of how businesses grow from early-stage innovation to global scale. She brings a structured approach to evaluating startup potential, balancing strategic frameworks with operational insights. She collaborates with accelerators, funds, and advisory groups to assess startups for investment and pitch readiness, ensuring founders align their vision with market opportunities and investor expectations.

Shanti holds a BS and MS in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Massachusetts and Washington State University. Shanti champions diversity in tech, mentoring and advising women founders through her board memberships and initiatives.