ACGSV Capital Outlook 2026

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Daniela Caserotto-Leibert, Head of Cathay Ecosystem US @ Cathay Innovation

Daniela is the US Head of Cathay Ecosystem, based in San Francisco. She is responsible for building and managing Cathay’s unique LP and corporate ecosystem while supporting US portfolio companies and the wider EU strategy with US go-to-market strategies connecting them to global stakeholders.

Daniela has 17+ years of experience in international business strategy and development, operations, strategic sales, and scaling startups from stealth mode to hyper growth. She has launched products in 27+ countries, guided the regulation of digital products in coordination with governments, lobbying groups along with private and state-owned companies in Europe.

Prior to joining Cathay, Daniela was Head of US for top early-stage European VC Speedinvest, where she launched a new platform strategy and advised European companies on how to enter the US market. She has also held previous roles at Area1 Security (acquired by Cloudflare) as Head of Partnerships and at HenkelX, contributing to the company’s entrepreneurial transformation. In addition, Daniela holds mentor roles at Intel, German Accelerator and GACC West, helping emerging and established German tech startups with US market entry, fundraising, go-to-market strategy, and enterprise sales.  

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Mohammad (Mo) Islam, Parter @ Threshold

Mo is a partner at Threshold and was formerly with DFJ. He is focused on enterprise, AI, and frontier technologies. He sits on the boards of Benepass, EdgeQ, Elementary, Freeform, Moonlake, OpsLevel, Parasail, Parspec, Yellowbrick Data, and several stealth companies. He has also been involved with Threshold's investments in Atomwise, Imagen, Mythic, Upside Foods, and Zoox.

Mo was on the technology team at In-Q-Tel, where he conducted technical diligence on behalf of the CIA. Mo also held engineering roles at Lockheed Martin, the National Science Foundation, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Mo is an author in a chapter addressing the disruption of employment by the rise of automation and artificial intelligence in Disrupting Unemployment: Reflection on a Sustainable, Middle-Class Economic Recovery.

In 2018, Mo was named to Business Insider’s list of Silicon Valley biotech stars. He was also featured in the 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 Venture Capital list.

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Helen Li, Managing Partner @ Needham & Company

Helen is a Managing Director at Needham & Company, where she focuses on technology investment banking. She joined the firm in 2011 and brings more than 20 years of combined operational and investment banking experience.

During her tenure at Needham, Helen has advised on more than 70 transactions, including public and private financings and mergers and acquisitions, representing over $40 billion in total transaction value. Through these transactions, she has helped technology companies accelerate growth, expand globally, and create meaningful long-term shareholder value. Helen specializes in complex cross-border transactions, with deep expertise in structuring deals and navigating cross-cultural negotiations.

Prior to joining Needham, Helen held a variety of roles in the semiconductor industry, including R&D, technical marketing, and strategic sales, at Micron Technology, Marvell Semiconductor, and InvenSense (a TDK Group company).

Helen currently serves on the board of directors of Alpha & Omega Semiconductor (NASDAQ: AOSL), a global supplier of power semiconductor solutions. She holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and a B.A. from Tsinghua University.

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Paul Single, Senior Economist, Senior Portfolio Manager, Managing Director @ City National Bank

Mr. Single joined City National Rochdale in 2003 and has 40 years of experience managing investment portfolios. He is responsible for the research, analysis, and implementation of various core-taxable fixed income strategies. He is a member of the firm’s Investment Strategy Committee, the group that determines the most appropriate balance of investments for clients’ portfolios. Additionally, he is a member of City National Bank’s Asset/Liability Committee (ALCO), which is the risk-management group that evaluates, monitors, and approves practices relating to the banks’ balance sheet and capital structure. Mr. Single is a frequent lecturer on the economy and investments, and is a contributing author for the monthly and quarterly economic reports.

Prior to joining City National, Mr. Single managed fixed income portfolios at Wells Fargo Bank/Wells Capital Management and at the Benham Management Group, which is now part of the American Century Family of Funds. 

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MODERATOR

Christopher Brown, Northern California Market President @ BNY Wealth

Chris oversees a group of specialists based in San Francisco and Menlo Park to advise some of the most successful individuals and families in Northern California, helping them to enhance their wealth for generations to come. He plays an influential role in driving BNY’s business impact and growth in the community.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Chris delivers the training and tools that support the development of thoughtful wealth management and cash flow strategies to meet clients’ long-term goals. Chris’s uncompromising integrity enable him to foster an environment of collaboration where colleagues and clients can both thrive and succeed.

Before joining BNY Mellon, Chris was Market Team Lead for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. His previous experience includes serving as a West Coast Head and Investment Officer for Veritable LP, a multibillion-dollar private investment office.

Chris earned a B.A. from Haverford College, where he was  the varsity’s men's lacrosse captain and one of the top-10 graduating student-athletes. He holds an M.B.A from the University of California Berkeley.

Passionate about childhood education, Chris has served as a board member of several Bay Area non-profits and currently serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland.