Calanthia Mei

Calanthia Mei has a diverse and impressive work experience. Calanthia is currently the Co-Founder of Masa Finance, where they are responsible for building the premiere web3 identity protocol. Calanthia has gained considerable recognition for their work, having been featured on various media platforms such as CNBC, Blockworks, CoinDesk, TechCrunch, FinTech TV, Yahoo News, and Crypto Coin Show. From June to September 2022, they also worked as a Venture Partner at SoGal Ventures.

Prior to their current roles, Calanthia Mei worked as an Angel Investor and Investment Partner at Self from 2019 to August 2022. In this position, they invested in fintech startups globally, focusing on both web 2 and web3 technologies. Calanthia was actively involved in strategy and fundraising, GTM motions, bizops, team-building, and leadership.

Before Self, Calanthia Mei held several positions at Fast, starting as the Director of Strategy from May to September 2020. Calanthia then became the Head of Partnerships from September 2020 to May 2021, and finally the Vice President of Business Development from May 2021 to April 2022. During their time at Fast, they led a high-performing Global Partnerships organization and played a crucial role in the company's acqui-hire in 2022.

From 2017 to 2020, Calanthia Mei worked at PayPal as an Investor at PayPal Ventures, the company's strategic investment and corporate venture arm. Calanthia was the second full-time hire and represented PayPal on startup boards. Calanthia also incubated PayPal's blockchain and crypto investment and product strategy, including leading investments in TRM Labs and Cambridge Blockchain.

Prior to PayPal, Calanthia Mei gained valuable experience at HSBC in their Investment Banking division. From 2014 to 2017, they worked in the Financial Institutions Group, collaborating with global large-cap banks and fintechs on various projects including M&A, Payments and Cash Management, Debt Capital Markets, Leveraged Finance, and Trade Finance.

Early in their career, Calanthia Mei worked in research positions. Calanthia assisted Dr. You-Me Park, the Director of Georgetown Women's and Gender Studies Program, on gender studies research related to women, violence, and human rights during World War II at Georgetown University. Calanthia also conducted research on China's evolving role in Africa and drafted briefings for former President Jimmy Carter at The Carter Center. Additionally, they worked as an intern for the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, focusing on legislative and opposition research for the 2012 Georgia House of Representatives elections.

Overall, Calanthia Mei has demonstrated a diverse skill set and a strong track record of success in various roles across the finance and technology sectors. Calanthia has experience in strategy, investments, partnerships, and team-building, with a particular interest in fintech and web3 technologies.

Calanthia Mei pursued their undergraduate education at Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service, where they completed a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.F.S.). Their studies focused on International Politics and Women's and Gender Studies. Additionally, they engaged in a program called Reforge, but no specific degree was obtained. In terms of certifications, Calanthia acquired a Level I Chartered Financial Analyst certification from the CFA Institute in December 2016. Furthermore, they have pursued certifications for Series 63 and Series 79 from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The specific dates of completion for the latter two certifications are not provided.