We’re excited to announce Eric Shu has joined Access Venture Partners as a Senior Associate! Eric has a multifaceted past – as a teacher, a vet and now investor – with a constant mission-driven trajectory.
During the pandemic, my wife and I moved to Denver for one year. And in that short time out west, we fell in love with the community. Beyond just the great outdoors, I quickly learned that the builders, operators, and investors in this region were of a different breed. My friends constantly asked, “Why Colorado?” It was an easy answer: the people. The generosity and grit of those living in the west were unmatched. Those unique qualities, coupled with the tech talent and capital emerging from, and moving to the region has made it a truly energizing place to be, and one I am excited to re-join.
Across my career, I have always been part of mission-driven teams, most of it spent at the intersection of technology and the public sector. I taught middle school in Louisiana, fought for important tech policy issues in D.C., and supported a variety of digital transformation projects for Deloitte’s federal and commercial clients. In the Marine Corps, I led small teams that integrated with foreign military forces working towards improving our security abroad.
When I joined the world of early stage investing at ff Venture Capital, I learned how to apply these lessons I had from years of building and leading teams to support founders at the earliest and most exciting phase of their journey. I’m thankful to the team at ffVC for the opportunity to improve my capabilities as an investor, and to the founders for trusting me as their partner.
At Access, I’m excited to join this mission-driven team, sharing our “code of the west” with the founders in this region. I look forward to spending time on dual-use and defense-tech solutions, as well as strengthening relationships with the broader venture ecosystem on the coasts and across the rest of the US.
If you’re building in this region (or visiting Denver and want to meet up for a coffee, beer, or a run), reach out to me on twitter @mrericshu.
