In honor of Women’s History Month, we recognize the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of influential immigrant and refugee women who’ve helped shape the vibrant tapestry of America. Today, we spotlight trailblazing entrepreneur Theresia Gouw.
Theresia was born in 1968 in Indonesia to parents of Chinese descent. Due to rising political tensions In Indonesia at the time, her and her family relocated to the U.S., settling in a tiny town just an hour outside of Buffalo, NY. At an early age, Gouw possessed a strong work ethic, leading her to excel in her school work. Despite only 40% of students from her high school continuing to college, Gouw was committed to success, and eventually was accepted to Brown University. There, Gouw studied engineering, and after graduation went on to earn her MBA from Stanford in 1996.
Shortly after graduation, Gouw cofounded a startup, but quickly shifted her sights to work at Silicon Valley venture firm, Accel. Theresia spent the next 15 years rising through the ranks of company, becoming a managing partner of the fund that would become one of Facebook’s first investors. After her tenure at Accel, Gouw took the plunge and cofounded her own firm, Aspect Ventures, with the mission of focusing on early stage venture opportunities. After five years, Gouw and her cofounder split off to pursue their own venture firms.
In 2019, Gouw launched her firm Acrew, focusing on her core values of specialist investing and diversity of perspective. One of Gouw’s most notable innovations in the venture capital space is her Diversify Capital Fund, a fund in which investors come from diverse backgrounds and communities. The goal was to bring diversity to companies, investors, and boards to drive better business outcomes. Theresia was named to the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women list, the 40 most influential minds in tech by Time Magazine, and was named to the Carnegie Corporation’s annual distinguished Immigrants list.
Outside of her career accomplishments, Theresia has been an active philanthropist, cofounding her nonprofit All Raise, an organization committed to supporting female founders in Silicon Valley. Gouw has also been a quiet investor in Historically Black Colleges, and has donated over 50 million to education efforts to invest in young women in STEM careers. Currently Gouw serves as one of the Buffalo Bills limited partners, paying homage to her roots in the Western New York area.
Others we are celebrating in honor of Women’s History Month:
2025
Cristeta Comerford, the White House’s first female executive chef and its first executive chef of Asian descent
Marlene Dietrich, renowned entertainer and activist
Azar Nafisi, critically acclaimed author and English Literature professor
Indra Nooyi, Forbes list business executive and trailblazer
Lea Salonga, Tony Award winning musical theater actress and Disney Legend
2024
Cecelia Payne-Gaposchkin, astronomer, educator, and trailblazer
Mother Cabrini, canonized Catholic sister and the patron saint of immigrants
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Psychiatrist and trailblazer for the acceptance of palliative care
Hinke Boot, former 20-year IIB Executive Director and advocate for New Americans
2023
Gloria Estefan, award-winning singer
Iman, supermodel and human rights activist
Isabel Allende, international best-selling author
Madeleine Albright, 64th U.S. Secretary of State, first woman to hold position
Martina Navratilova, tennis superstar and civil rights advocate
Mila Kunis, award-winning actress and humanitarian
Lidia Bastianich, Emmy award-winning celebrity chef
Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood “Golden Age” actress and modern tech luminary