Biography

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 TED speaker and was recognized by the New York Business Journal as a Woman of Influence, by Business Insider as a Woman to Watch in Venture Capital and by Management Today & The Daily Telegraph as one of Britain’s 35 Women Under 35.