Sona Wang
Managing Director
Sona Wang possesses over 20 years of venture investment experience. Since 1987, she has raised three Chicago-based venture capital funds totaling over $100 million. Previously, she was an investment manager with Allstate Venture Capital, one of the oldest institutional venture funds, with over $400 million invested at that time. Her investment focus has been in early stage technology, healthcare and business services.
Prior to her career in venture capital, Ms. Wang was employed by Intel Corporation in key management positions in manufacturing and marketing.
Ms. Wang is a nationally recognized venture capitalist. She has a reputation as a pioneer in creating new funding vehicles for the underserved markets of women and minority owned businesses. Her prior fund, INROADS, was the first national venture capital fund to target women and minority owned businesses. INROADS was also the first fund approved by the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for community reinvestment credit (CRA) to banks as investors in a nationally focused venture fund.
Ms. Wang currently serves on the corporate boards of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. She is Chairman of the Board of VIPdesk, Inc. and a director of TrafficCast International and High Tower Software, Inc.
Ms. Wang is a leading figure in the Women's business community. She was the Chairman of the Springboard Forum in 2001 and 2003 (Midwest region); a founding advisory board member for the Northern Trust Company's VisionKeepers Forum, and an advisory council member for the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC). She was the recipient of the YWCA Leadership Award for Women's Entrepreneurship in 2001. She was named "100 Most Influential Women in Chicago" by Crain's Business in 2004.
Ms. Wang currently serves on Northwestern University's Board of Trustees where she has been a Vice Chairman of the Capital Campaign and Co-chairman of the Diversity Committee. She also serves on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees, Chicago Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors, and the Board of Governors for the Metropolitan Planning Council. She was recognized among "Top Business Leaders of Color" by Chicago United and Crain's Business in 2007.
Ms. Wang graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering (1980), where she was a recipient of the University's Canfield Scholarship. She received an M.B.A., magna cum laude, from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.