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Dec 29, 2021

Architecting and Designing Future Tech with Barbara Bickham of Trailyn VC

Barbara Bickham is the founding and managing director of Trailyn VC, a pre-seed fund investing in diverse, deep tech founders. She's a serial CTO and has over 35 years of experience in technology and entrepreneurship.


“I started as a computer science major at Berkeley. I also have a Master's Degree in software engineering and got my MBA from the University of Chicago. The first half of my career was in design systems and managing people. I got an opportunity to start a company called TechGenii. We were doing wireless roaming for hospitals and during this time, a few Hollywood producers came to me and said, “Hey, can you put that American idol style voting and polling into my show? And I said, yes, I think I can do that.” So I completely pivoted my company to be one of the wireless pioneers in the United States.



In 2007 we rolled out QR codes onto phones. I was on the very first cusp of QR codes as well. If they are related to mobile messaging, digital rights, media and entertainment, I helped mold and shape that. Then in 2017, I got into the CTO business as a strategist, token economics, architecting, and designing AI and blockchain. I specialize in AI and Blockchain together.


I started my first fund in 2019. It was a Qualified Opportunity Zone fund, and we got our first LP prior to the pandemic. I am now launching a VC funding deep tech diverse founders.


My superpower is that I put out fires. I get phone calls asking, ‘hey, Barb, my hair is on fire. Can you put it out?’ It could be the fire extinguisher, or It could be water. It depends on the level of the problem. I like to rate problems and I'll come in and help clean up the issues.”


TrailynVC

Barbara Bickham, Founder & Managing Director

barbara@trailynvc.com

www.trailynvc.com


Trailyn VC is a venture capital fund based in Los Angeles, California. We invest in diverse deep-tech founders. Barbara Bickham is the founding and managing director of Trailyn VC. She's an award-winning CTO and VC Fund Manager with extensive experience in Technology, Entrepreneurship and Fund Raising. Barbara was the Managing Director for the award-winning Women's Innovation Fund Accelerator (wifaxvc.com), a venture fund, accelerating growth by using a mix of sustainability, acceleration and funding while requiring participants to have a C-suite made up of at least 50% women. She also handles portfolio construction and LP relations.


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