The Team is Everything, Always

Youngro is Founder/CEO of Brassica, a "web 2.5" alternative investment infrastructure startup providing back-end solutions to alternative. Previously, Youngro was the COO and EVP of Republic and co-founder/CEO of NextSeed (first SEC-registered Funding Portal; acq. by Republic in 2020). Youngro also practiced as an international funds and private investments attorney for 8 years at Cleary Gottlieb, Kirkland Ellis and Weil Gotshal in NY, Moscow, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Youngro has a BS from Cornell and a JD and LLM in International Law from Cornell Law.

My personal mission in life is to democratize finance to create opportunities for everyone. Having lived and worked globally all my life, I believe the greatest impact for new FinTech opportunities over the next decade will be in Asia. Leading enterprises will need to manage complex innovations within increasingly tight regulations, and Brassica Ventures will help lead the way.

Paul Lee is the Head of Brassica Ventures, where he manages the group’s overall investment strategy and operations. Paul has previously worked at Lehman Brothers Private Equity in Hong Kong, where he invested in Asia-based growth equity companies, and also at Davis Polk & Wardwell as a corporate attorney advising clients on M&A and IP matters. Paul was also a part of the transactions team at Roivant Sciences, where he focused on investment execution and company building. Paul holds a BS from Stanford University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

As an investor, I am excited by the potential of the digital asset technology and AI to enable frictionless transfer of value and unlock the $8-12T alternative investment market to individual investors. Brassica Ventures is committed to building the ecosystem of fintech infrastructure companies leveraging cutting-edge technology with a central focus on security and regulatory compliance.

Wil has 12 years of experience in Asia and brings extensive expertise in investment, corporate development, and venture to the team. Prior to joining, he managed institutional clients, totaling $40 billion in AUM, at PIMCO. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Riverside, and a Master's degree, with honors, from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.

As a global society, we're witnessing a growing wealth gap and limited access to financial resources, resulting in the unintended consequences of increased poverty, climate change, and social inequality. Similar to how the internet catalyzed the global connectivity of finance in the late 90s, I believe digital asset innovations applied to finance will be the next step toward promoting financial democratization and inclusion for all.

Jenny was born in South Korea and grew up in different parts of the world including India, Germany, Israel and the U.S. Jenny has prior experience in Investment Banking at Nomura Securities New York and London. She holds B.B.A. from Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

Growing up in different parts of the world, I always found myself connecting with diverse cultures and ethnicities. I aspire to continue being a global citizen in the professional world, facilitating cross-border transactions and maximizing access to resources and capital globally for everyone.

Bharat is VP of Finance of Brassica. Prior to Brassica, he worked for Republic Capital where he led Finance and Operations for a $1BN+ AUM asset manager that invested across new frontier ecosystems including digital assets. Bharat previously worked in M&A and capital markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and BNP Paribas. He holds a BBA from the University of Georgia and MBA from the University of Texas-Austin.

Excited to be a part of Brassica Ventures as the future of payments for commerce and investment is ubiquitous and frictionless; not restricted by geographical barriers or legacy banking infrastructure. I’m looking forward to partnering with our portfolio companies and investors as we embark on the next phase of fintech innovation.

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