Jeremy Lam

CARTOONS AS CATALYSTS. From a young age, Jeremy Lam knew he had a unique talent: bringing people together. This skill has guided him through an eclectic journey from VR games to the metaverse and now to his latest venture, Venu AI. Jeremy’s story is one of perseverance, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to fostering community.

Jeremy’s fascination with the tech and VC world began in an unexpected place: Saturday morning cartoons. Growing up in Virginia after emigrating from Hong Kong at age five, Jeremy found solace and inspiration in Japanese anime like Yu-Gi-Oh and One Piece. These shows, with their themes of technology, holograms, and business, sparked his interest in engineering and set him on a path toward his future endeavors.

While at Georgia Tech, Jeremy’s passion for technology blossomed. After internships at Microsoft, the NSA, and Cisco, he assembled his first team to build a robot, which finished second place in a national competition. The experience reinforced his belief in following his gut and having fun while doing it. “We didn’t know what we were doing, but we had fun figuring it out together,” he recalls. Soon after, Jeremy led a team to create a VR game based on Jurassic Park, further cementing his love for technology and teamwork—and having fun along the way.

Jeremy’s current venture, Venu AI, evolved from his deep-rooted interest in bringing people together through technology. Venu leverages artificial intelligence to build trust and relationships through the automated production of podcasts, webinars, and conferences. This innovative approach helps companies create a self-sustaining sales pipeline, enabling them to connect with prospects in a meaningful way.

The journey to Venu AI wasn’t straightforward. Jeremy reflects on his team at a previous venture experiencing burnout, and he faced personal challenges, including dealing with anger and depression. “I wish I could have gotten therapy earlier,” Jeremy admits. “I’ve lashed out at my co-founders, and it’s something I’m not proud of.” These experiences taught him invaluable lessons about resilience and the importance of perseverance. “Success in business is about keeping going and finding a way through.”

Jeremy’s LGBTQIA+ identity plays a significant role in his personal and professional life. He found freedom and self-expression in the virtual reality world, where he could interact with others without constraints. “In VR Chat, I found a home in the dance community,” he shares. “Being in an avatar that wasn’t my real body allowed me to let my guard down and express myself freely.” This experience helped him understand and embrace his true self, influencing how he leads his team and builds his company.

“Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community has been an asset,” Jeremy says. “It has taught me the importance of authenticity and the power of genuine connections.” This philosophy extends to Venu AI, where the vision is to bring people together to solve problems collaboratively.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE. Looking ahead, Jeremy envisions Venu AI as a platform that helps companies build communities and solve problems at scale. “Every time we bring people together, things happen,” Jeremy explains. “People combine and partner, find customers, hire talent, and solve problems. Our vision is to do this at a high quality and scale, helping people build communities that create positive change.”

As Jeremy continues to build Venu AI, he remains committed to his mission of creating meaningful connections in a digital world. “I just try to be genuine,” Jeremy reflects. “I’m not trying to be this perfect figure or this perfect CEO. I’m just trying to be genuine. Hey, this is who I am. This is what I’m struggling with. These are the challenges. These are the mistakes that I made. You start to find yourself attracting people who value that and value you or who you genuinely are—and that is a very powerful thing in a startup team.”