Stephen Liu

Summary

Stephen C. Liu is a seasoned entrepreneur, connector, and community builder with a dynamic career spanning entertainment, luxury, textiles, healthtech, and consumer tech. As Managing Director of Privy Capital, he leads a platform focused on strategic advisory, business development, IP acquisition, investments, and incubation across the tech, media and entertainment sectors. Since 2017, Stephen has been an active investor in blockchain-related ventures, including web3 gaming projects like YGG SEA, Gaggle Studios, Tatsumeeko and NGL. Through Privy Capital, Stephen also co-founded and consults as a Managing Director for the a2Collective.ai, a $40M AI Agetech fund backed by the NIH/NIA. Before founding Privy Capital, Stephen bootstrapped a mobile matchmaking app that was featured at TechCrunch Disrupt. He also successfully led the turnaround and sale of a vertically integrated textile manufacturer with operations in U.S. and China, achieving an above-market valuation. Earlier in his career, Stephen served as President of a venture-backed 'Forbes Top B2B' digital marketplace for the film/tv industry, where he led the platform's rapid expansion and raised $6M from Silicon Valley + Hollywood investors, including Softbank and Frank Biondi Jr. (fr. CEO of Viacom and Universal Pictures). Stephen is also widely respected as a social entrepreneur and network builder. He founded APEX, growing it into a leading LA-based offline community with 10k young professionals, and later launched Privy Circle, a curated transpacific network connecting affluential entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives across the U.S. and Asia. Throughout this tenure, he produced 50+ events and secured corporate partnerships with brands such as Chase Bank, Toyota, Lexus, Porsche, LVMH, MGM and Caesars. Outside of business, he has helped co-produce two documentary films and has received accolades such as the 'Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year' by Asian Enterprise Magazine, the 'Icon of Inspiration Award' from Martell/APEX, the 'Emerging Leader Award' from the Asian Pacific Community Fund, and the 'Local Hero Award' from KCET/Union Bank. In his spare time, Stephen is a member or serves on the advisory boards of various startups and organizations, both past and present. These include SparkLabs, Neuro, Rotten Tomatoes, Entrepreneur’s Organization, the Joint US-China Cooperation on Clean Energy, the Asian Professional Exchange, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, LMU Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship, and the National Asian Breast Cancer Initiative.