About
Joana Zhang is a Board Advisor at Lightyear Consulting and works as a venture partner and angel investor focused on AI, robotics, life sciences, and space technology. She has more than 30 years of experience spanning corporate leadership roles at IBM and Microsoft as well as venture and cross-border innovation work. Zhang's background includes affiliations with Harvard and MIT.
Experience
- Lightyear ConsultingBoard Advisorcurrent2025 — present
- Alliance of AngelsAngel Investor/Venture Partner/Board Membercurrent2017 — presentSeattle, Washington
- PCF Global Company, a subsidiary of Lightyear CorpPresident & Board Director2017 — 2020Global
- Pacific Coast Feather CompanyVice President/Asia General Manager/Board Director of PCF Global2006 — 2017Global
- MicrosoftMSN China Marketing Director2005 — 2006
- IBMSenior Marketing Manager2003 — 2005
- AOL Wireless/Tegic CommunicationsGlobal Marketing Program Manager1999 — 2001Seattle, Washington, United States
Skills & more
General ManagementSelf-confidenceInterpersonal RelationshipsLeadership20Strategy16Management30Strategic Planning12Venture Capital4Space Tech4Life Sciences3Advisory BoardsBoard of Directors
+12 more
InvestmentsRoboticsSolution SellingBusiness Model InnovationBoard GovernanceFinancial AnalysisCloud ComputingArtificial Intelligence (AI)Project PlanningBusiness InsightsSales StrategyMarket AnalysisLanguages Chinese · English
From Joana's professional profile.
Colleagues at Alliance of Angels
Abishek Sankaranarayanan
Life Science Fellow at Alliance of Angels
Bob Lord
Innovation Fund Administrator at Alliance of Angels
Bob Wallach
Board Member at Alliance of Angels
Brent Weeks
Innovation Fund Administrator at Alliance of Angels
Charles Porter
Board Member at Alliance of Angels
Chris Igielski
Innovation Fund Administrator at Alliance of Angels
Dan Menser
Vice Chairman at Alliance of Angels
Dennis Schmuland
Investor at EPIC VENTURES
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Joana Zhang?
- Joana Zhang is a Board Advisor at Lightyear Consulting and works as a venture partner and angel investor focused on AI, robotics, life sciences, and space technology. She has more than 30 years of experience spanning corporate leadership roles at IBM and Microsoft as well as venture and cross-border innovation work. Zhang's background includes affiliations with Harvard and MIT.
- Where does Joana Zhang work?
- Joana Zhang is Board Member at Alliance of Angels.
- Where did Joana Zhang go to school?
- Joana Zhang studied at Seattle University (Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management); MIT Sloan School of Management (Artificial Intelligence Certificate: Implications for Business Strategy); Harvard Business School (Executive Certificate Program, Foundations of Private Equity & Venture Capital).
Same school
Also attended Seattle University25
Quinton PeppinSenior Associate, Valuations & Operations at K5 GlobalMaren NelsonVice Chairman at Alliance of AngelsChristopher O'DoreSenior Associate at Advance Venture PartnersAimee MartinezInvestment Director, Seed at Charter School Growth FundChad Clark AndersonManaging Partner at Space CapitalAlex HarrisGeneral Partner at Fiat Ventures
+ 19 more
Also attended MIT Sloan School of Management518
Doug LeonePartner at Sequoia Capital; former Global Managing PartnerHemant TanejaCEO & Managing Director of General CatalystBrad FeldCo-founder of Foundry and TechstarsChris MorrisProcess Specialist, Exit Readiness at Mayfair Equity PartnersBirgitteInvestor at InvestinorOlaInvestor at Investinor
+ 512 more
Also attended Harvard Business School2,000
Brad GerstnerFounder & CEO of Altimeter CapitalAileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesTim DraperFounder of Draper AssociatesMamoon HamidPartner at Kleiner PerkinsNeeraj AgrawalGeneral Partner at Battery VenturesHristo BorisovCo-founder & CEO of Payhawk
+ 1,994 more
Also attended UW Foster School of Business57
Mike FridgenVenture Partner at Madrona Venture GroupBill RichterCEO of Qumulo and venture partner at MadronaAbby StrongMarketing & Operations Manager at Scale Venture PartnersZachary CefarattiVenture Partner at Draper AssociatesMinda BrusseFounding Partner at First Row PartnersMoshe ZilbersteinGeneral Partner at Next47
+ 51 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Microsoft1,188
Reid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorNat FriedmanCo-lead of Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDGKai-Fu LeeChairman of Sinovation Ventures and CEO of 01.AIBill GatesCo-founder of Microsoft; Chair of the Gates FoundationMike KriegerCo-founder of Instagram; Chief Product Officer at Anthropic
+ 1,182 more
Also worked at IBM710
Brian ArmstrongCo-founder & CEO of CoinbaseOlivier PomelCo-founder & CEO of DatadogAlexis Le-QuocCo-founder & CTO of DatadogKen ChenaultInvestment Team at General CatalystRoger KrakoffGeneral Partner at Monta Vista CapitalAvi BharadwajInvestment Director at Intel Capital
+ 704 more