How Early Struggles Shape Great Entrepreneurs

Joined by Joe Tolzmann, I talk with Christine Tsai about how her early exposure to tech, commitment to inclusion, and resilience helped shape one of the world’s most active VC firms.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by Joe Tolzmann, entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of RocketPlan Technologies, for a conversation with Christine Tsai, Founding Partner and CEO of 500 Global. Christine shares how watching her mom program punch cards sparked a lifelong connection to technology and entrepreneurship. We talk about what it takes to succeed outside the typical startup hotspots, why investing in underrepresented founders matters, and how early rejection helped shape breakout companies like Canva. Christine also reflects on why entrepreneurship still holds the key to solving the world’s biggest challenges.