TC

Tracy Chou

CEO

Tracy Chou, CEO and Founder of Block Party



Professional Overview


Tracy Chou is the CEO and Founder of Block Party, a company dedicated to combating online harassment and bolstering online privacy. She is recognized as a prominent advocate for diversity in technology and has received widespread acknowledgment for her efforts in this area. Prior to founding Block Party, she held significant roles at Pinterest and Quora and has interned at Google and Facebook.

Career Highlights


  • Block Party (2018 - Present)

  • CEO and Founder: Block Party is a consumer app focused on tackling online harassment and enhancing privacy controls. The company launched Privacy Party, a browser extension to streamline privacy settings on multiple platforms.

  • Launched "Privacy Party" in 2023 and actively updates the service to combat new privacy threats and settings changes.


  • Pinterest

  • Participated as an early engineer, one of the first 15 employees.

  • Quora

  • One of the earliest employees, serving in an engineering role.


  • United States Digital Service (USDS)

  • Acted as a consultant to improve the efficiency and technological infrastructure of government services.


  • Internships

  • Gained early career experience at tech giants Google and Facebook.


Educational Background


  • Stanford University

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science with a specialization in machine learning and artificial intelligence.


Advocacy and Activism


  • Co-founder of Project Include: An initiative aimed at increasing inclusion and diversity within the tech industry.

  • Originator of a GitHub repository to track the diversity statistics of tech companies, which significantly influenced larger firms like Google and Facebook to release their diversity data.

  • Participant in the #ILookLikeAnEngineer campaign to challenge stereotypes about engineers.


Recent Activities


  • Product Updates: Frequently shares updates and new feature launches for Block Party on LinkedIn (e.g., latest updates about Privacy Party and mass-blocking features on social platforms).

  • Fundraising Achievements: Raised a $4.8M seed round to expand Block Party's mission of creating a safer online environment.


Public Recognitions


  • Named one of Time's 12 Women of the Year in 2022 for her efforts in making the internet a safer space for users.

  • Featured speaker at various high-profile conferences, including TechCrunch Disrupt and Stanford University's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Series.


Personal Insights


Tracy Chou combines her technical expertise with a deep commitment to social issues. Her personal experiences with online harassment have driven her dedication to creating tools that protect users' privacy and foster a safer digital environment.

Social Media Presence


  • LinkedIn: Actively engages with users and posts updates related to Block Party's new features and developments.

  • Instagram: Shares personal moments and achievements, including her advocacy work and recognition as a woman leader in tech.


Investors


  • Precursor Ventures (Lead by Charles Hudson)

  • Dream Machine (Alexia Bonatsos)

  • Ellen Pao (Co-founder and CEO of Project Include)

  • Alex Stamos (Director of Stanford Internet Observatory)


Notable Mentions


  • Block Party pivoted to privacy solutions after losing access to Twitter's API, highlighting the company’s agility in addressing emergent digital privacy concerns.

  • Tracy’s leadership at Block Party has garnered significant media attention, including a detailed profile by TechCrunch and interviews by various industry platforms.




By focusing on Tracy Chou’s professional journey, significant achievements, and current role at Block Party, this report presents actionable insights for leveraging her commitment to diversity, advocacy for online safety, and innovative drive in potential sales engagements.