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.
Danna Maxwell
Business Operations Manager
As an experienced professional with over 10 years in administrative support, customer service, human resources, and programmatic support, Danna thrives on finding solutions that streamline operations and help businesses grow. Throughout her career, she has been proud to support teams and leaders by fostering strong relationships, building trust, and proactively addressing challenges. Whether it’s optimizing workflows, solving complex problems, or simply offering a listening ear, she is dedicated to making sure things run smoothly behind the scenes, so the front-end success can follow. In all, she would consider herself a Hybrid Professional Multipotentialite, respectfully.
She believes in balancing professionalism with a personal touch—whether that’s through her strategic contributions or the rapport she builds with colleagues and clients. Outside of work, she enjoy exploring my creative side through art and dancing, which helps her stay energized and inspired in both her personal and professional life.
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
Event Production and Marketing Specialist
Adept at ensuring seamless tech conference experiences, Andrew manages live audiovisual operations on-site, design and produce all event collateral (badges, programs, posters), and cultivates the company's engaging presence on LinkedIn. 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.