“No matter where you come from, what gender you are, what color your skin is, if you have potential, just do it, and you will make something great.”----Zhang Lu
Tianjin University alumnus Zhang Lu, an undergraduate of 2006 in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, now the Founding Partner of NewGen Capital, was honored as one of the 30 Under 30 for Venture Capital in 2017 by Forbes on January 3, 2017.
During her undergraduate study at Tianjin University, Zhang achieved excellent performance in her study as well as research. As a junior student, she led a national college student science and innovation project on breathing diagnosis with nanotechnology and was offered 10,000 yuan research fund. She also applied for patent for it. Besides excellent study and research performance, she was a member of Tianjin University Peiyang Folk Music Orchestra, and a group leader in the Student Union. She also led over 40 teams to develop public-benefit startup projects. In 2009, Zhang won the 15th “Top Ten Outstanding Youth” of Tianjin University.
After graduating from Tianjin University, Zhang Lu pursued postgraduate study in materials science and engineering at Stanford University, where she applied her work with nano-thin biosensors to build a new medical device for testing for Type II diabetes as part of on-campus entrepreneurship class. She eventually sold her startup, Acetone Inc., for more than $10 million and started her own firm, NewGen, in 2014.
Zhang is a rare female Silicon Valley VC from China. She has participated in more than 50 investments over her career, 38 at NewGen. “My personality is I wish for the best; I prepare for the worst,” says Zhang. “I may look like a petite Asian girl, but I don’t want anyone to tell me that I couldn’t do it.”
The 2017 FORBES 30 Under 30 is the most definitive gathering of today’s leading young change-makers and innovators in the U.S. and this year is the sixth year of the coveted list. It includes 30 game changers in 20 industries all under 30 years old -- 600 in total -- who are challenging the conventional wisdom and rewriting the rules for the next generation of entrepreneurs, entertainers, educators and more. There were more than 15,000 nominees for only 600 spots. That’s an under 4% acceptance rate; making it harder than getting into Harvard University (5.2%) or Stanford University (4.8%).
