Neda Blocho

Neda is a Principal Investor and Head of the Studios program at Avanta Ventures, where she focuses on investing and helping startups grow in the InsurTech and Mobility space. She has spent over seven years guiding and mentoring startup founders, and is passionate about all facets of innovation. Neda’s path to entrepreneurship began at Stanford University, where she helped to build and run the Stanford Venture Studio program while working at the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (CES) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Neda went on to evolve and expand the StartX accelerator program, where her focus was helping founders maximize their potential through education and strategic relationships. She then joined Pear Ventures, where she funded and worked with incredible early stage founders to help them disrupt industries and incumbents. Neda went on to co-found Ziba Quest, a startup with a mission to help children lead happier and healthier lives by improving their Emotional Intelligence using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools and Growth Mindset principles. Before joining Avanta Ventures, Neda was with WeWork Labs, the We Company’s platform for fostering and building early-stage startups, where Neda managed engagements and helped incubate startups. Neda’s passion for helping children also extends into her volunteer work with the non-profit Moms Against Poverty (MAP), whose mission is to nurture and educate underprivileged children to their fullest potential, so that one day, they can contribute and lead within their own communities to break the cycle of poverty.