Portfolio — Tiffany Yau

Hi there, and welcome to my portfolio!

Inspired by my experiences in entrepreneurship and VC, I study how actors in entrepreneurship navigate uncertainty, with a focus on attention, expectations, and social evaluation. At the individual venture level, I ask why, how, and when actors gain recognition, resources, and authority. At the system level, I examine how actors shape collective attention and expectations to organize responses to grand challenges. Across each, I explore conditions and processes that enable or constrain entrepreneurial action and shape which innovations are pursued, supported, and sustained.

Below, I have outlined my published and ongoing research projects.

PUBLISHED

WHITE PAPERS

Wry, T., Yau, T., & Bruno, C. (2025). Do Universities Close the Gender-Funding Gap in Entrepreneurship?. Impact Investing Research Lab at the Wharton ESG Initiative.

BOOKS

Yau, T., Desai, A., & McCormick, B. (2023). Build With Impact: The Cheat Code to Social Entrepreneurship. Fulphil Publishing.

Yau, T. (2023). Speak Money: The Cheat Code to Financial Literacy. Fulphil Publishing.

WORK IN PROGRESS

resEarch papers

Writing

Hood, L., Yau, T., York, J., Grandy, J., Hiatt, S.R. Catching the Wave or Wiping Out? The Rise and Fall (And Rise Again) of Ocean Energy in the United Kingdom

Yau, T., Wry, T., Bruno, C. Fame to Frame: Celebrity Female Founder Categorization

Yau, T. VC Promotional Pathways: A Configurational Approach to the Gendered Rise to Partner in Venture Capital

Yau, T., Hood, L., Hiatt, S.R., York, J., Grandy, J. Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Predictors of Effective Entrepreneurial Pivoting

Collecting/Analyzing data

Hood, L., Yau, T., Hiatt, S.R. Nuclear Energy

Busch, C., Yau, T., Bhattacharya, P., Grimes, M., Williams, T., Entrepreneurial Responses in Los Angeles Fire

Yau, T. Scared Money Don’t Make Money: An Institutional Lens on Pathways to Entrepreneurial Resourcefulness

Beyond Research…

Much of my research is informed by my prior life, having worked 9 years in the public and private sectors as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and educator.

Click through the following to learn more:

ECOSYSTEM BUILDER

FOUNDER

FUNDER

EDUCATOR, AUTHOR, & SPEAKER

Joyful Learner

Featured in

More Media & Awards

I first met Ms. Yau in 2019…She and Fulphil are making a huge impact on disadvantaged youth around the nation, including my own classroom… The entire staff of marketing teachers at the EAROP have benefited from her classroom presentations and curriculum that she has designed to help our students prepare for 21st Century careers, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds... She goes above and beyond when it comes to helping students and teachers.

Rick Charles
Distinguished Entrepreneurship Teacher, Hayward High School
Tiffany went above and beyond to support both winning and losing teams, showcasing her genuine desire to foster social entrepreneurship and address pressing societal challenges. She consistently displayed a compassionate and caring approach towards everyone involved, emphasizing her commitment to uplifting and empowering individuals irrespective of outcomes... Entrepreneurship alone is already difficult, so we need all the help we can get.

Michael Wong
Co-founder, CEO of InstaHub
Participant and winner of Hult Prize Ivy (2019)
Tiffany is a phenomenal founder and visionary who prioritizes care and thoughtfulness in her work. Throughout my time working with her at Fulphil, I was able to see how she catered towards community needs while working to actively revitalize the entrepreneurial education system for high school students here in Philadelphia. Her ability to bring people together and work diligently is a testament to her dedicated effort to explore and craft solutions for incredibly unique problems that we may not even see!

Abhi Suresh
Former Director of Growth, Fulphil
I used to think of my company as nothing more than a little lemonade stand on the corner of your street that makes a buck or two for every sale. With the help of Tiffany and Fulphil, I now see it as more of a company and threw away the thought of a little lemonade stand.

Freya Busser
Former Fulphil Student, 2019
Tiffany is a rare one. Most people point to her intelligence, grit, decision-making, management, operational strengths, analytical prowess, and incredible execution ability. But what sets her apart from anyone is her genuine love for her community and the people she engages with. Everyone loves Tiffany. People believe in her, follow her, and champion her quite immediately. It’s almost like people recognize her genius after the fact. She never ceases to impress. Whether it’s her heart of gold or her brilliant mind, Tiffany is an attractive force and a fantastic builder. Any organization would benefit tremendously from her perspective. I am lucky to have had her as a co-founder, but more importantly, a friend.

Vivek Pandit
Co-founder, We Are Gen Z Ventures
Forbes 30 Under 30
Tiffany is the most relevant and personable writer and speaker I've had the opportunity to read and listen to. I think any underrepresented audience member would feel ready to take over the world after one of her talks. Truly!

Anonymous keynote audience member
Few people bring the unique combination of social impact, education, and investor experience to the table at the level that Tiffany does. She wears all of these hats to support us in our journey at Scaffold Ed, helping us identify new opportunities in our market and pushing the team to think more deeply about the impact we're making for our customers. She goes above and beyond her role as an angel investor and isn't afraid to dive into the core challenges we face as an early stage company.

Evan Wilson
Founder of Scaffold Education

Letters of Support & Testimonials