Howard Chao
Managing Director
Howard Chao is both a startup investor and an event organizer.
Howard makes investments in early stage tech companies through his personal vehicle, Doon Capital, usually in collaboration with his network of institutional investors. He maintains close working relationships with various venture funds and strategic investors in each of his focus areas. Most of Howard’s activities are in auto|mobility tech, ag|food tech, legal|reg tech, fintech and crypto.
Howard is also a Managing Director and primary shareholder of Doon Insights, a startup and technology events company that hosts invitation-only, highly curated workshops and salons for startups, financial investors and corporates at his ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains.
He began his work life as a corporate lawyer with O’Melveny & Myers and for many years was the Chair of the Firm’s Asia Practice. He helped establish the firm’s offices in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing, and practiced for many years as a cross-border investment specialist based in Asia. Since 2001 Howard has been based in Silicon Valley, but has continued to do business in the Asia markets.
Katie Grimble
Executive Director
Katie Grimble oversees operations, event production, and outreach at Doon Insights. She has over ten years of experience in business management, sales, events, and customer relations across multiple industries including food/hospitality, farm operations, and agricultural sales/marketing. She has a growth mindset and is passionate about connecting people and innovative ideas. She is excited to bring her perspectives and insights into this domain. Previously she’s managed projects for our friends at The Mixing Bowl, an Ag/Food tech forum connecting innovators for thought and action leadership. She is from Indiana, where she studied Philosophy at Butler University, and now resides in Pescadero, California.
Maiduo Li
Analyst
Maiduo assists in workshop development, content creation, key accounts management, and competitor researches. Based in Shanghai as a senior investment professional, he is skilled in alternative investment, asset/product mgmt. and industry consulting, as well as M&A.
Maiduo received a Master’s degree in Public Finance from University of Kentucky. He has bilingual proficiency in both English and Mandarin.
Andrew Chao
Marketing and digital strategist
Andrew Chao assists in the online presence, marketing and event production for Doon Insights. He is a veterinarian by trade, receiving his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis, in 2016. Andrew works full-time as a small animal general practitioner in the San Francisco Bay Area.