Sallie Jian

Evaluator
DISC Type : csd

Investment Partner at Alumni Ventures

New York City Metropolitan Area, United States

Overview

Sallie Jian is an Investment Partner at Alumni Ventures, specializing in Series A to Pre-IPO investments in enterprise software and AI. Her career combines venture capital leadership with corporate development experience at Diageo and running the startup accelerator for SAP in New York. She earned her BS from the University of California, Berkeley.

Sallie is a passionate advocate for diversity in technology and venture capital. She actively supports and invests in female founders, frequently participating in women-focused panels and startup competitions. Her work emphasizes building more inclusive and equitable startup ecosystems.

In 2020, Sallie was named one of the "Top 50 Women Transforming FinTech" for her innovative leadership.

Personality Overview

Fast But Analytical

Thorough Evaluator

Hard To Convince

They focus on the results, but can still be quite procedural and analytical about how to get there  They have a unique set of diverse traits where they are decisive and methodical but can sometimes be extra cautious and skeptical They are not very likely to become strong advocates of your product or service

Topics They Care About

AI Investing
Leads investments in AI companies like Deepgram and Replit, analyzing where value is created in the AI stack, from infrastructure to voice AI technology.
Supporting Female Founders
Actively participates in all-female panels, judges startup competitions for women, and expresses a commitment to investing in ventures led by female entrepreneurs.
Diversity in Tech
Championed a commitment at SAP to build a startup portfolio where 50% of founders were women or from minority backgrounds, believing diversity drives innovation.

Media Appearances

Investor Insights: Sallie Jian, Partner, Alumni Ventures. Featured in Eventbrite

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Sallie Jian joins Alumni Ventures. Featured in Venture5

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Work History

10-2025
Investment Partner at Alumni Ventures
8-2025
Board Member at Hedgineer
5-2023 - 10-2025
Head of Ventures North America at Diageo
3-2018 - 5-2023
Director, Head of SAP.iO NY (Corporate Ventures, Startup Accelerator & Partnerships Ecosystem) at SAP
2016 - 3-2018
Vice President at SeedInvest

Education

2008 - 2010
BS from University of California, Berkeley

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 14 Location : New York City Metropolitan Area, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : Investment Partner at Alumni Ventures
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Insights For Selling To Sallie

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Showcase your competitive superiority clearly when possible or address it at the minimum
  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points instead of anecdotes and examples
  • Showcase how you can impact results but also make sure that you share detailed information too

DONT's

  • Avoid too much small talk, just a few formal pleasantries should be fine
  • Avoid inviting them for any social interactions until you have built some rapport with them
  • Avoid making strong statements, instead invite them to agree with you by asking them questions

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Sallie is

  • ROI matters the most to them, followed by process and finally proof of results
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Sallie

  • They might hesitate a little, but will go ahead and say no when necessary (or asked)

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Sallie move?

  • They are unlikely to move very fast, especially when it comes to new products or services
  • Can Sallie take some risk or not?

  • They have relatively low risk-appetite and are not very likely to go for something unproven and risky

You And Sallie

Personality Compatibility


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