Phil Jung is a Partner at Sovereign’s Capital where he invests in Seed and Series A stage technology companies led by faith-driven entrepreneurs across the U.S. and Southeast Asia. He was previously the CFO and CPO at Mindoula, a healthtech company that serves populations with complex behavioral health, medical, and social challenges. Prior, he was with the Maryland Venture Fund, Foundation Capital, and TDF Ventures, leading investments in early and growth stage technology companies. He began his career at KPMG’s Risk Consulting practice in Silicon Valley and co-founded the Jeremy Lin Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to serve at-risk youth through education and leadership development in underserved communities.
During our conversation, he discusses:
His career transition from KPMG to Sovereign’s Capital
The role of mentorship and relationship-building in venture capital
Reflecting on the influence of his musical background on his professional life
The importance of a supportive investor-founders relationship
Sovereign’s Capital’s mission
Examples of impactful investments like Grab and Preveta
Phil's tips on transitioning from consulting to VC
Insights into Sovereign’s early stage venture funding strategy
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
What We Cover:
00:00 Introduction to Phil Jung
01:02 Phil's Musical Background
03:44 Early Career at KPMG
04:38 Launching the Jeremy Lin Foundation
05:05 Venture Capital Beginnings
06:45 Joining Sovereign's Capital
07:37 Differences Between Consulting and Venture Capital
11:49 Lessons from Board Observations
16:20 Sovereign's Capital Thesis and Examples
30:13 Advice for Aspiring Angels and VCs
Connect with Phil
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipjung/
Connect with Andrew
Newsletter: https://thediligentobserver.substack.com
Website: https://pitchfact.com/
Stuff We Reference
Sovereigns Capital: https://sovereignscapital.com/
Mindoula: https://mindoula.com/
Foundation Capital: https://foundationcapital.com/
TDF Ventures: https://www.tdfventures.com/
Jeremy Lin Foundation: https://www.jeremylinfoundation.org/
Georgetown University: https://www.georgetown.edu/
Heny Kaestner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hkaestner/
Luke Roush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-roush-0a0b694/
Bandwidth: https://www.bandwidth.com/
Grab: https://www.grab.com/sg/
Anthony Tan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-tan/?originalSubdomain=sg
Ambassadors Impact Network: https://www.ambassadorsimpact.com/
Potomac Angel Capital: https://www.potomacangelcapital.com/
Harvard Business School: https://www.hbs.edu/
NASDAQ: https://www.nasdaq.com/
Preveta: https://preveta.com/
All opinions expressed are personal and may not reflect the views of the individual’s organization or of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.
