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Investors and Capital-Hungry Companies Adapt to Covid-19 Crisis
Talks about VC, Startup and Entrepreneurship
TP
Tristan Pollock
Entrepreneur in Residence at DAO
San Francisco, California
Overview
Tristan Pollock is a Movement Builder based in San Francisco, California, with a strong background in venture capital, angel investing, and expertise in areas like cryptocurrency and NFTs. Notable highlights of his career include founding Shisharka Skunk Works and serving as a Venture Partner at 500 Startups, where he invested in successful companies like BacklotCars.
Currently, Tristan is the Founding Partner at Cool Climate Collective, showcasing his leadership in the startup ecosystem and his commitment to supporting innovative ventures in sectors like Smart Cities/UrbanTech and Web3/Crypto.
Work Experience
Founder
2025 - Current
Building AI to better human connection.
Founding Partner
2021
• Co-founded Cool Climate Collective, leading investment efforts in climate tech startups. • Invested over $4M in 30 innovative startups, fostering sustainable technology solutions. • Collaborated with a network of 1,655 LP operator-investors from industry leaders like Google and Uber.
Entrepreneur in Residence
2021
• Operationalized a unique art collection integrating Web3 and AI technologies. • Curated high-profile items including the 1/1 Wu Tang album and Edward Snowden's $5m NFT. • Collaborated with diverse stakeholders to enhance the intersection of art and technology.
Chief Executive Officer
2021 - 2025
• Spearheaded the growth of Doge DAO, achieving over 1.2M holders and a $300M market cap. • Secured nine-figure brand deals with notable partners including Revolut and Ledger. • Drove cultural initiatives such as the Doge documentary and Japan’s bronze Doge statue. • Facilitated over $4M in charitable donations, enhancing community engagement and brand reputation.
Head of Ecosystem
2020 - 2021
• Spearheaded the movement for inclusive tech teams, empowering startups through innovative ecosystem strategies. • Led a cross-functional team of 5, achieving a remarkable 10x growth in the active developer base. • Developed 36+ integrations, resulting in a significant 232% year-over-year traffic growth, reaching 300K page views. • Produced “The Ops Show,” scaling viewership from 800 to 60K and executing viral campaigns.
Venture Partner & Accelerator Director
2014 - 2020
• Led and scaled global accelerator programs, deploying $65M into 220+ startups, including notable names like Backlot Cars (acquired for $425M), Printify ($1B+ valuation), and ManyChat ($140M Series B). • Co-ran 8 San Francisco accelerator programs, achieving a 70% funding rate for startups raising over $500K. • Personally advised over 1,000 founders on fundraising and growth strategies. • Launched the first American accelerator in both Moscow and Riyadh.
500 Global is a multi-stage venture capital firm that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies.
Raised $2,271,999.00 from Abu Dhabi Financial Group.
Entrepreneur In Residence
2019 - 2019
Worked with early-stage portfolio companies at Google for Startups.
Google is a multinational corporation that specializes in Internet-related services and organizes the world’s information.
Raised $26,100,000.00 from Angel Investors LP, Kleiner Perkins, Signatures Capital, Sequoia Capital, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Shaquille O'Neal, Henry Kissinger, Google and Tiger Woods.
Founder & COO (Acquired)
2012 - 2016
• Founded Storefront, transforming it from an idea into a successful B2B2C marketplace generating over $100M GMV. • Raised $10M in funding from top-tier investors, including AngelPad and Spark Capital, to fuel growth. • Secured partnerships with industry giants like Nike, Google, and Shopify, enhancing brand visibility. • Expanded operations to over 2,000 retail locations and cultivated a community of 100,000+ advocates.
Board Member
2012 - 2015
Board Member
2014 - 2016
Guided city regulators around the emerging sharing economy and the best way to work with tech companies in order to promote urban innovation.
Founder & COO (Acquired)
2009 - 2012
• Founded and served as COO of SocialEarth, an award-winning platform in solution journalism. • Grew a network of 200 contributors and partners across 25 countries in under three years. • Successfully sold SocialEarth to 3BL Media, establishing it as the largest social impact press network globally.
Education
Bachelor of Science (BS)
2004 - 2008
AP5
2012 - 2012