Jessica Li

Can’t sleep on Jessica Li, this girl is the real deal. So, she’s been around the block in the startup scene since 2015, when she co-founded Pop Meals in Malaysia. That’s not just some local gig, she took it to the big leagues by jumping into Y Combinator’s Summer 2017 batch, making history as the first Malaysian startup to crush it there. That’s a huge deal, showing she’s got serious hustle and knows how to play with the big boys.

Before all that, Jessica’s been deep in the game, she’s held roles at foodpanda as Head of Marketing, which means she knows how to scale and make brands pop. She also did Strategy & Ops at PwC, so she’s got that corporate grind but with a startup edge. Her background’s solid, she studied Psychology at UCL and then got a Master’s in Organizational Psychology from UNSW. Basically, she’s all about understanding people, how they tick, and how to build teams and products that really connect.

But here’s what’s crazy, her process isn’t just about landing a cool startup or a fancy job. It’s about her drive to create impact, to build something meaningful from the ground up. Pop Meals isn’t just a food delivery app; it’s her way of rethinking how food gets to people in Malaysia, trying to make it better, faster, more accessible. And jumping into YC? That’s her saying, “I’m here to play with the best, learn from the pros, and scale this thing globally.” No cap, that’s a bold move.

Now she’s also a Venture Partner at Pioneer Fund and mentors at Founder Institute, so she’s giving back, helping other founders crush it. That’s her way of saying, “I got the experience, I wanna lift others up.” It’s all about community, growth, and not settling for just okay.

So, why’s Jessica so important? Because she’s proof that when you combine smarts, hustle, and the guts to jump into the deep end, you can shake things up. She’s built something from nothing, learned from the best, and now she’s out here mentoring the next wave. She’s not just in the game, she’s changing it. That’s Jessica Li, a true startup OG, making moves and inspiring the whole scene.