YouTube Co-Founder Steve Chen on Innovation, Startups, and Lessons Learned

Join the Stanford GSB Venture Capital Alumni Chapter for a special installment of our Thought Leader Series recurring theme—East Meets West: An Evening with Steve Chen, co-founder of YouTube. In this in-person event, Steve will share his journey bridging innovative ecosystems in Asia and Silicon Valley, explore key insights on cross-border and cross-culture entrepreneurship, and discuss the future of global tech leadership. Steve Chen is a world-renowned internet entrepreneur, best known as one of the co-founders and former Chief Technology Officer of YouTube. His vision and leadership transformed the way we share and consume videos online, turning YouTube into one of the most influential digital platforms in the world. ​Born in Taiwan, Steve moved to the United States at age eight and grew up in suburban Chicago. He earned his computer science degree from the University of Illinois and was among PayPal’s earliest employees, later spending time at Facebook—experiences that shaped his innovative approach to technology and entrepreneurship. ​Today, Steve resides in Taiwan with his family and actively invests in the local tech startup ecosystem. He's focused on bridging the ties between entrepreneurs and investors in Silicon Valley with the engineering talent across Asia. Jing Kuang is the Founding Partner of Y+ Ventures, a modern venture capital firm that invests 100% in category-defining, consumer-facing AI startups at the earliest stages, with deeply human-centered and unapologetically AI-native edge, backed by an all-female Stanford team. ​Prior to founding Y+ Ventures, Jing served for seven years as President & CEO at Yongjia Capital in China, a former subsidiary of one of China's top four financial groups, focusing on cross-border mergers and acquisitions. ​A graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA) and Peking University (BS Finance), Jing remains deeply connected to both institutions in the eastern and western worlds. She was a guest lecturer at Peking University on venture capital and entrepreneurship. At Stanford, Jing serves as the President for the Stanford GSB Venture Capital Alumni Chapter, fostering meaningful connections among alumni who…