By Tia Cristy
Remember Natasha Beddingfield had a song called “Pocket Full of Sunshine”? That is honestly a fabulous way to describe this month’s featured leader, Pocket Sun. If I only were allowed three ways to describe her, I would have to say, she is brilliant, radiant, and full of joy. This petite, sweet-spoken entrepreneur was an absolute pleasure to sit with and talk about everything from business to family to future. But I’ll tell you now, don’t let her smaller size or her youthful face distract you from the badass woman she is.
Pocket Sun is a trailblazing venture capitalist, dynamic entrepreneur, and fearless advocate for gender diversity in business and investing who divides her time between Vancouver, Asia, and the US. As the co-founder of SoGal Ventures, the first female-led, millennial-founded venture capital firm, she has been redefining the face of leadership in the entrepreneurial world. A passionate champion for representation, Pocket challenges the status quo by demonstrating that diversity is not just a moral imperative—it’s a powerful driver of business success.
Her thought leadership has earned her speaking roles at iconic platforms like TEDx, SXSW, and the United Nations, where she inspires audiences with her bold vision for equity and innovation. Recognized by leading publications like Forbes, Fortune, and Business Insider, Pocket is celebrated for her mission to reshape the venture capital landscape. She is committed to creating opportunities for underrepresented founders, leveraging capital to spark systemic change, and building a future where equity and inclusion are at the heart of business.
China Based
Pocket Sun grew up in a small oil field city named Dongying in China. It’s a newer area in China where she stayed until 18 years old. She was a young extrovert who enjoyed reading. And it was already decided at an early age, that Pocket was meant to study abroad in the US.
“I was the first person to go to college in my family,” she says happily. “…I call it my first entrepreneurial experience.”
She only knew of one family friend when arriving in the States. She had never been here, nor had any family nearby. She learned a lot just from that experience alone. She adapted fairly well to the to the experience, showing off her ability for resilience at an early age.
“With some of my habits, my family will say, the US taught you that,” she laughs.
She attended the College of William & Mary in Virginia, which is a small public school where she studied business and music. She took time to also study abroad since this extrovert found the retired area of Virginia a little ‘boring’. After graduating, she left for Chicago for her first job in PR. Later, she moved into sales, earning the top sales for Louis Vuitton.
“Fun fact, Louis Vuitton only gives you an hourly wage. So even though I was selling bags worth tens of thousands, I was only making $17 an hour,” she chuckled.
Well, at least this was one of the first embers that showed Pocket her incredible talent for making substantial money for others’ dreams.
She then moved on to work for Motorola Solutions as a Product Marketing Specialist.
“That was my first ‘real’ full-time job, but it didn’t last long due to my visa status,” she says.
Pocket always felt very lucky, so it was quite surprising to this bright optimist when her work visa was running out of time, and she did not get picked again for the visa lottery.
She only had two choices:
One, go back to Grad school, or, head back to China.
Back to School
Although pursuing a master’s degree was never part of her original plan, Pocket Sun took a leap of faith and enrolled at the University of Southern California to study Entrepreneurship and Innovation. What began as an unexpected detour soon became a life-changing decision.
“It was there where I fell in love with the world of startups,” she says, her eyes lighting up with the memory. “Right then, I knew I never wanted to go back to the corporate life.”
See how lucky Pocket is?!
Let’s take a moment to honor the timeline… It was the loss of that lottery, which resulted in returning to school for a degree she never thought she wanted but would ultimately birth that unexpected realization and her passion for free enterprise. It was that revelation that would spark a newfound journey that would transform not just her love for life as well as her future career but also the lives of countless women and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
As fate would have it, Pocket’s leap into the unknown proved to be a remarkable blessing.
And that, my friend, is how life can happen for you.
“I do feel very blessed,” she admits with gratitude. “I found my life’s mission so early on. I was 23 years old when I started SoGal on campus as a community.”
What began as a small initiative to connect and empower women quickly grew into something far greater.
“I met my co-founder when I was 24,” she recalls. “We created it (SoGal) as a venture capital firm because we saw how much of a demand there was for capital that caters to them (the diverse), …or doesn’t belittle them or ignore them. Low bar, …but this was before the #MeToo movement… nobody in venture capital cared about women.”
Her words highlight the pure realities of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the time and emphasize the importance of their mission. By turning SoGal into a pioneering venture capital firm, Pocket and her co-founder not only filled a critical gap but also became catalysts for change in an industry that had long overlooked the value of diversity and inclusion.
Gals Allowed
So, what is SoGal Ventures firm exactly?
SoGal Ventures, co-founded by Pocket Sun and Elizabeth Galbut, stands as a pioneering force in the venture capital world. As the first female-led, millennial-founded venture capital firm, it is on a mission to revolutionize the industry by championing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Now remember, Pocket was only 24 years old when she started this so, SoGal Ventures had and continues to focus on empowering the next generation of trailblazing entrepreneurs, with a particular emphasis on businesses led by women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ founders. By prioritizing underrepresented leaders, SoGal Ventures is transforming the venture capital landscape and redefining what success looks like in entrepreneurship.
And as we’ve already uncovered, Pocket never envisioned herself as an entrepreneur until she hit Grad school, but as time had shown, fate had a very different plan. So, it must be highlighted that early in her entrepreneurial journey, it became impossible for her to unsee the glaring gender gaps that plagued the business world, particularly in venture capital and leadership roles.
“I didn’t like it,” she says disgustedly. “It was everywhere I looked.”
The stark reality of the lopsidedness was even getting difficult for others to ignore, and she had had enough of it.
It sparked within her a profound sense of purpose. So, fully determined to confront the system that had long sidelined women and underrepresented groups, Pocket was resolved to go deep and challenge the severely rooted status quo.
It didn’t take long for her to figure out her plan. Her mission and objectives quickly became quite clear: disrupt the traditional boys’ club, shatter glass ceilings, and create pathways for those who in the past have been excluded from the conversation.
“Honestly, it was about using my difference to make an impact. That was even the name of my TED talk (Use Your Difference to Make an Impact), and I still stick by that thought process today,” she says.
Armed with courage, determination, and a vision for a more inclusive future, Pocket embarked on a journey to rewrite the rules of business and investing. By building platforms and opportunities for others, she not only redefined her own trajectory but also paved the way for countless others to rise and thrive in spaces that once felt out of reach.
A passionate advocate for change, Pocket has directed her efforts primarily toward empowering women, particularly in tech, which is a field ripe with potential yet notorious for its lack of diversity.
Braveheart
Pocket Sun created SoGal to inspire women to embrace their uniqueness. This brave leader came to a foreign country many years ago to embrace a better life, and through her heroic ability, she is opening the doors for many others to step up and be brave. It’s wonderfully obvious that her passion and investments go way beyond capital. They create a safe space for women to innovate, lead, and reach their highest potential.
“Women feeling unnerved about money or stepping into a finance world is foreign to them, and it was designed that way. It was only in the 80s that women were getting bank accounts without their husband’s signatures,” she recalls. “It was only a few years ago, it was the first time a company with two women co-founders went public in the history of the IPO market. We are literally part of history right now and we are still early on. So, when women get deterred by all the money talk, I often tell them, ‘It’s not your fault’… It wasn’t meant for women to feel comfortable.”
While her focus remains on championing women, Pocket makes it clear that her work is not about exclusion. Men are welcome and encouraged to join the movement, but her mission is laser-focused on equal footing for individuals who are striving to make the world a better, more balanced place.
“I’m not sure if, by the time I leave this world, we will be on the same level playing field, but I can say, it’s a worthy fight!”
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Pocket recommends women to lean on one another who are of like-minds. She suggests finding other women who are going through the same fears about money or business and learning from one another. It’s okay to share vulnerabilities and doubts and help one another through the process.
“Female friendships are so precious,” she says with emotion. “We don’t need to subscribe to society norms that say the heterosexual partner is the most important relationship or that women aren’t supposed to get along.”
Pocket believes we are in a time where we can successfully eliminate that stereotype of women constantly being in competition with other women. We naturally love community, so we need to let go of the idea that we are meant to do it all alone. We need to be able to air out our grievances and fears and help hold each other up.
Family Forward
Pocket recently celebrated her marriage with a beautiful and heartfelt reception, marking a milestone in her personal journey. She and her wife tied the knot two years ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, they were unable to properly celebrate the occasion at the time. The delayed celebration allowed them to gather with loved ones and reflect on the joy and strength that their relationship has brought them over the years.
When I asked if her family from China was able to attend, Pocket shared that her parents had yet to visit her in her current city. However, she expressed excitement about an upcoming trip to see them soon. For Pocket, this year symbolizes a time of growth, letting go of the past, and moving forward with hope and optimism.
Pocket’s journey has not been without its challenges, particularly when it comes to her family’s acceptance of her marriage. While her parents were less than thrilled about gaining a daughter-in-law, and their initial reaction to her diverse lifestyle was less than supportive, the time has allowed for reflection and movement for a shift in perspective. Pocket acknowledges the complexity of these dynamics but chooses to approach them with grace and understanding.
As she looks to the future, Pocket is committed to the process of love and healing. She sees this as an opportunity to rebuild the relationship with her parents and foster a deeper connection. With her characteristic resilience and determination, Pocket’s integrity and open demeanor continue to inspire and lead not just in her professional life but also in her personal journey, embracing the challenges and joys that come with being authentically herself.
Notable Moments
At just 24 years old, Pocket Sun earned a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list and became one of the youngest individuals to grace the cover of Forbes magazine in 2016. Recognized as one of the LinkedIn 2015 Top Voices in VC and Entrepreneurship, she quickly emerged as a leading voice in the venture capital and entrepreneurial world.
As we know, Pocket began her journey by founding SoGal, the groundbreaking networking group for women, but she later expanded her impact by establishing the She Power Organization (SPO) in Shanghai, China, and SheVC, a platform driving venture capital innovation across Asia.
Through her blog, SoGal AdVentures, and her content on Red Notes (where all TikTok users flood into), Pocket’s influential voice has reached global audiences, where she is speaking at events for prestigious organizations like PwC, Coca-Cola, BoA Merrill Lynch, Accenture, Ogilvy & Mather, London Business School, National University of Singapore, Microsoft CEO Summit, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, and, of course, TEDx. Her multifaceted efforts continue to inspire and empower the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs and leaders.
In the End
Pocket Sun and SoGal’s investment thesis is around the future of living, working, and staying healthy. They are always looking for world-class, exceptional founders who are going to redefine industry standards. They are constantly looking for amazing deals to invest in.
This marks the 10 years that the company has been established.
“(One fear I have is) How do I stay relevant?” she admits. “Where do we go from here? What’s next for the company?”
These are all the kinds of questions each one of us asks ourselves at some point or another and that is because the company is constantly growing and evolving. She believes none of us can stay where we are forever, so we must grow. That being said, Pocket is confident that the future is bright, and the opportunities are endless.
We did discuss the importance of a morning routine and the power of meditation. One of the manifesting exercises that she does each year is to take two minutes with her dear friend and enthusiastically talk about everything that will happen this year, but speak it as if it already happened. She did share some of her manifestations with me, but that just gives me another story to write about her next year. You see, the mind is so powerful, and by doing this exercise, along with an accountability partner, it then allows the brain to download it as a fact instead of a goal.
I highly recommend you give it a try.
Pocket Sun is truly a ray of light for diverse entrepreneurs to find their way through the dark and intimidating business world. She is a true example and embodiment of the quote, ‘Be the change you seek’. Through her unwavering dedication, Pocket Sun has become more than just an entrepreneur or investor—she is a trailblazer and a catalyst for systemic change, transforming industries and inspiring generations to dream bigger and aim higher.
