Christina Bechhold Russ

Christina Bechhold Russ is Head of Strategic Investment Initiatives at Truist Ventures, the venture capital arm of Truist Financial. She is also cofounder and Founding Partner of Empire Angels, a New York-based fund and angel network of young professionals investing in early-stage startups, with a focus on supporting millennial entrepreneurs. Christina was previously Director of European investments for Samsung NEXT, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in software and services across mobile, consumer electronics and display, and started her career in capital markets at Citigroup in New York. She is a regular contributor on startups and leadership for the Wall Street Journal and sits on venture fund advisory boards in both the US and South America. Christina is also a TEDx speaker and was recognized by the New York Business Journal as a 2016 Woman of Influence, by Business Insider as a Woman to Watch in Venture Capital in 2018 and by Management Today & The Daily Telegraph as one of Britain’s 35 Women Under 35 in 2019.