Tanya Soman

Investor Tanya Soman is a fixture in the fast paced-world of venture capital as an investor and mentor. Working with early stage startups aiming to “fix the internet” at Mozilla Builders, Tanya previously spent nearly six years as a Venture Partner at 500 Startups, one of the most active seed stage venture capital firms in the world.   

Tanya has spent years focusing on seed stage investment opportunities in the consumer space and has worked hands-on with hundreds of companies.  During her time at 500 Tanya embraced “being part of a company that sees opportunity beyond all borders,” where she was able to work with entrepreneurs in over twenty countries and learn that “first hand experience is the best way to educate yourself about an unfamiliar market.”  

Another aspect of her time at 500 that Tanya has since reflected on was “the opportunity to increase its presence within the retail, beauty, and fashion verticals by leveraging my experience as a female consumer.”  By stepping back and understanding how she could leverage her personal interests as an investor, Tanya paved the way noting that “it’s still a challenge for funds to allocate decision making power to people (like me) with unfamiliar perspectives." During her professional journey, Tanya has come to appreciate what she has learned about herself through her work.  She has added value to numerous young companies and guided many founders by helping craft and tell their story, while building and raising funds. Cheers to you, Tanya.