team of outliers
Paul Hsu
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
SUPERPOWERS: PRODUCT AND GROWTH
Paul Hsu is CEO and Founder of Decasonic, the venture and digital assets fund building blockchain innovation. His experience as both an early stage tech investor and operator enable him to partner with outlier founders to accelerate product market fit and systematically scale start-ups.
Paul’s curiosity and conviction in disruptive technology dates back to the dawn of the Internet: first, as a venture investor on Sand Hill Road, then as a senior executive at pre-IPO mobile, social and gaming companies, and today as a founder and investor in blockchain.
Paul's work at Zynga, a leading social gaming developer, focused on products and growth initiatives tied to in-game virtual economies and other digital assets. After Zynga’s IPO, beginning in 2013, he expanded this expertise into investing in blockchain technology.
During the course of his career, Paul has held senior leadership positions at technology companies in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Chicago and New York City where his expertise in product and growth helped stabilize and systematically scale these companies during periods of exponential growth.
Paul's early career included early stage venture investing at NeoCarta Ventures, a $300M fund based in Silicon Valley. Paul joined as a founding team member and was a key investment professional in the investment, advisory and management activities of the fund.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, where his studies concentrated on economics, math, statistics and international politics. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude.
Lauren Tierney
Venture Investor
SUPERPOWERS: NARRATIVE AND SUPER-CONNECTING
Lauren firmly believes that the path to achieving widespread adoption of web3 lies in its ability to address a web2 challenge using web3 technology and significantly enhance individuals' daily lives.
With a keen focus on commerce, mixed reality, and wellness, she envisions a transformative landscape where consumers' experiences are revolutionized, leading to tangible improvements in their lives that cannot be overlooked.
In her role, she focuses on connecting with outlier founders across her theses that focus on web3 commerce, mixed reality, and other consumer-focused use cases for blockchain technology.
With her experience as a two-time podcast host and international marketer, she deeply understands the profound impact that a compelling product narrative can have, and she actively dedicates her time to assisting founders in crafting authentic and exceptional narratives that resonate with their audience.
Before Decasonic, Lauren got her degree in Marketing and Computer Science and spent 5 years on the Global Experiential Marketing team at Atlassian.
Danny Pantuso
Venture Investor
SUPERPOWERS: FOUNDER EMPATHY AND PRODUCT
Danny is a Venture Investor at Decasonic - a Chicago-based web3 native venture fund. With a technical background from Stanford University and experience as a product manager, CEO/founder, and now a venture investor, Danny is the in-house expert on product-market fit within web3.
Before Danny joined at Decasonic, he worked in Product in Reykjavik at Iceland's largest travel marketplace and then founded Iceland's first takeaway and delivery marketplace during Covid. Upon exiting, Danny led Product at Fubo Sportsbook, integrating live wagering into FuboTV's sports-focussed streaming service.
He spearheads investment theses in web3 gaming, entertainment, AR/VR, and web3 x AI, working with startups to develop tokenomics, core user loops, and investing in the future of fun.
Danny's mission is to identify the best entrepreneurs in crypto, connect with them, evaluate the opportunities, and help them succeed post-investment. Outside of work, he's a life-long gamer, sci-fi and history nerd, and avid reader.
Danny is always open to chatting with founders, and if someone is building in the web3 space, he would love to hear from them.
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Grace Casey
Marketing Manager
SUPERPOWERS: MARKETING AND BRAND POSITIONING
Grace knows that for web3 to reach global mainstream adoption it’s going to need a rebrand.
In order to accomplish this goal, Grace aims to craft compelling narratives that ignite curiosity. Through the development of strategic marketing plans and fostering valuable partnerships, her objective is to drive the realization of Web3’s transformative potential.
With Grace's background in blockchain hackathons and international AI software sales, she is well-equipped to navigate the dynamic world of Web3. Having actively participated in blockchain hackathons, Grace has honed her problem-solving skills and gained valuable insights into the practical applications of Web3. Additionally, her experience in international AI software sales has equipped her with a keen business acumen and an understanding of market dynamics.
Grace's passion for leveraging strategic marketing to drive transformation sets her apart, as she seeks to position Web3 as a hub for innovation and accessibility for all.