Christine Tsai

“I mostly read online - tech/VC blogs. I also enjoy the 'NY Times', 'Atlantic', 'New Yorker'.”

“People will never stop having kids, and people will never stop spending money on them to make sure they're safe, healthy, and educated.”

“Unfortunately, a lot of Silicon Valley venture capitalists are disconnected from African Americans, Latinos, and other people of color.”

“Throughout the day, I'm always thinking about 500, the team, and how we can do things harder/better/faster/stronger.”

“When it comes to creativity and to leadership, we need introverts doing what they do best.”

“The best thing women in tech can do is to invest in other women.”

“Offering unequal leaves just reinforces the longstanding notion that parenting responsibilities aren't equal, and that doesn't help anyone.”

“In life, you don't get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate. So don't be afraid to ask - the worst you can hear is 'no.'”

“Many people are allergic to process and structure because it causes traumatic flashbacks of working at BigCo and suffering through bureaucracy for bureaucracy's sake.”

“At 500, our policy is 12 weeks of fully paid leave for all parents in the U.S. Parents can choose to take this leave consecutively or spread it out through the first 12 months after birth.”

“There's a good amount of research out there that shows generous parental leave policies have a significant positive impact on employee retention and morale.”

“There are huge pain points experienced by parents. It's hard to find good child care options in one place. It's hard figure out things to do with your kids on the weekends or after school. It's hard to find iPad apps for your kids that you are confident are helping them learn vs. just being entertained.”

“While your intentions may be good, this is something every expectant working mom fears - being phased out. I'll put myself out there and admit this has been/is a fear of mine. Let her be the one to decide whether something's too much for her to handle or not.”

“It's really important for your team to be not just feel empowered but actually be empowered.”

“Values are the foundation of a company. Culture is the manifestation of values - the day to day actions and behavior. Adapt tactical cultural behavior that helps you execute on your values.”

“Breaking down barriers is tough. Many companies make the mistake of dismissing diversity early on, only to realize later how foundational it is to their success or failure.”

“Entrepreneurs don't have a regular 9-5 work day. They don't take vacations. They live and breathe their business 24/7 and wear many different hats.”

“I love the fact that Facebook offers equal leave for moms and dads. Consider that for your company.”

“As a society, we're failing. In so many ways. Such high incarceration rates of underrepresented minorities ultimately means we're missing out on great potential from black and Latino communities. Yes, there's immense talent brewing even within the most impoverished neighborhoods. Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.”

“I can say without a doubt that being a mom is the ultimate test of my multi-tasking skills. I spend my day meeting startup after startup, helping our portfolio companies, bringing in speakers, and soon gearing up for Demo Day for our accelerator program.”