Justice Liao
about me
Hi!

My name is Justice and I was born and raised in Markham, Ontario (~30–40 mins from Toronto).
I'm currently interning this summer at AltaML's AI/ML Venture Studio (created by the founder of Investopedia).
I will be joining Esplanade Ventures this fall as an intern.
I want to learn as much as I can and believe that Esplanade is the best place for me to do that at this stage of my life.
In a past life, I worked at KPMG for US Tax, AbbVie for compliance, and two LMM buyout funds.
I'm interested in tech, startups, strategy, and venture.
Some things I want to accomplish (in no particular order):
- Start my own fund
- Become a great founder
- Do hard stuff
- Do fulfilling stuff
- Have fun
- Live in the moment
- Travel the world
- Experience everything life has to offer
- Give back when possible
- Become a better writer
- Be a kind and thoughtful person
- Make my family proud
I'm a pretty extroverted and happy person in my life. I take a lot of photos and try to capture memories of food, friends, and family.
I have a strong passion for my loved ones. There is nothing more important to me than them (family, friends, girlfriend). I am grateful for my life and strive to become better every single day.
A Bit More
Big music fan, I listen to almost everything. It keeps me sane.

Played just about every sport at some point — jack of all sports, master of none
- I want to start taking running more serious
- I will run Boston at least once in the next decade


Some content I've especially enjoyed / learned from / been inspired by lately:
The black mamba
Didn't expect it to be as good as it was. Geoffrey Woo is the cofounder of Antifund with Jake Paul
I really liked the way he talked about Jimmy Iovine
Always open to learning new things and meeting new people — feel free to reach out!
writing
Thinking in Loops: Returning to Healthcare With a New Lens
Hello, Healthtech.
~5 min read

Portfolio Structure for Venture Studios
You can't win the home run derby if you strike out five times first.
~8 min read

Inside the Venture Studio Model
exploring a new model of company building
~6 min read

Savor
product case study
~4 min read

From First Job to Leadership
supervisor at 15 years old
~3 min read

experiences
Esplanade Ventures
Toronto, CanadaInvestment Analyst, Venture Capital
Sep 2025 – Dec 2025Incoming 16-week internship on the investment team, supporting research, pipeline management, and early-stage healthcare deal execution
AltaML
Toronto, CanadaStrategy & Operations Analyst
May 2025 - PresentCompleting a 14-week internship at a venture studio, contributing to strategic development across portfolio ventures and internal operations
Associate Product Manager
Jan 2025 – Apr 2025Completed a 16-week internship at a venture studio, supporting and investing in early-stage startups across all industries and verticals
GoAhead Ventures
Menlo Park, CaliforniaVenture Scout
January 2025 – PresentOn a contractual part-time basis with a pre-seed VC fund managing ~$200M AUM, focusing on investments across all tech sectors
Hustle Fund
San Carlos, CaliforniaAngel Squad Member
January 2025 – PresentMember of Hustle Fund's Angel Squad, a global community of early-stage startup investors; actively participate in deal reviews, founder Q&As, and syndicate investments across various tech sectors
KPMG
Toronto, CanadaStaff Accountant, US Corporate Tax
Jan 2024 – Apr 2024Completed a 16-week internship at KPMG, supporting U.S. corporate tax compliance and provision work for multinational clients
Sergiwa Capital
La Porte, IndianaPrivate Equity Analyst
Sept 2023 – Dec 2023Completed a 14-week internship at a lower middle market quantitative buyout fund investing across all sectors
AbbVie
Toronto, CanadaCompliance Analyst
May 2023 – Aug 2023Completed a 14-week internship on the Allergan Aesthetics team at AbbVie, global biopharmaceutical company and owner of Botox
Ocean Leap Capital
Cupertino, CaliforniaPrivate Equity Analyst
Dec 2022 – Aug 2023Completed a 9-month internship at an entrepreneurial investment fund focused on LMM acquisitions and growth