Susan Akbarpour

Managing Partner

Candou Ventures · Palo Alto, California, United States

Present

Susan has graduated from Stanford University Graduate School of Business with the Master of Science in Management (MSx) and made it her mission to develop, invest in and leverage consumer-centric technologies that have impact on the economy and humanity. In Candou, she has invested in technologies such as omnichannel marketplace as-a-service, universal and consumer driven shopping cart, micro-mobility, GDPR Compliant face recognition on NFT and Augmented Anticipatory Intelligence (Extracting truth from misinformation, deceptive information, information overload.), cross-pollinated and contactless commerce (C-Commerce), blockchain-based influence marketing, tokenized content monetization, smart contract as a service, shop-able content publishing platform as-a-service,... She is a limited partner in other funds such as How Woman Invest, Practical VC and Venture University Venture Partners.

Venture Partner

Candou Ventures · San Francisco Bay Area

Business Development and Deal Closure: Sourced and reviewed over 1000 business plans, successfully closing deals with a total enterprise value of $5 billion, with a focus on SaaS, AI, blockchain, and platform technologies. Operational Innovation and Transparency: Pioneered the automation of the entire back office to address the limitations of outdated third-party software and the lack of transparency for LPs. Led the design and development of a comprehensive, reliable, and scalable in-house platform (CIMA) at Candou Ventures.

Founder & Chair

MARKITPLACE, INC · Menlo Park, California, United States

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Announcing my recent (Stealth Mode) venture MARKITPLACE, INC: The #EverywhereStore is Almost Here! Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to unveil MarkitPlace and its marquee customers at En-tech and usher in a new era of instant, consumer-focused commerce. We are actively speaking to investors, top-tier retailers, media outlets, and tech partners. Are you with us?!

Nrf Innovation Advisory Committee Member

National Retail Federation

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Founder

Democracy 3.0 · United States

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Democracy 3.0 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and open-source social application for non-profit and community groups to organize without being shadow-banned or blocked by commercial social media networks. Our key principles are: - Free access - Transparent, open-source platform - Limiting one account per person through liveliness verification, while ensuring privacy and not requiring government ID to protect activists operating in regions that demand anonymity. This approach reduces disinformation prevalent in current social media, prevents commercial use of user data, avoids filter bubbles, and ensures news feeds are not commercially influenced by special interest groups. The profound impact of the Women, Life, Freedom movements, along with the January 6 events, in both my home country and my adopted homeland, have served as profound inspiration for the creation of Democracy 3.0, a . These events have shed light on the urgent need for a platform like D3 in the face of disinformation and ast…

Member Board of Directors

KQED · San Francisco Bay Area

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Stanford Gsb -the Akbarpour Aalaei Fellowship

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

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The Stanford GSB was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I am thankful that I am now in a position to help current students fulfill their dreams. I have founded "The Akbarpour Aalaei Fellowship", which provides need-based financial aid to Farsi-speaking GSB students in August 2021. The fellowship provides financial support for MBA, MSx, or PhD students who are enrolled in Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), with a first preference for Farsi speaking students from Iran, Afghanistan, or the central Asian republic of Tajikistan, and a second preference for students who were raised in Farsi speaking families or who have at least one parent from Iran, Afghanistan, or the central Asian republic of Tajikistan. If you apply to the school and are accepted, you'll be considered for my fellowship. The average Stanford GSB fellowship is $40,000 per year and does not have to be repaid. Wishing you the best in your journey. "The lack of diversity in higher education is a problem…

Investor, Board Director & Product Visionary

CIMA · Menlo Park, California, United States

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Our journey began with frustration—frustration with the lack of transparency and disjointed communication in fund management & LP communications. After an exhaustive search for a complete solution failed, we decided to build one. The result? CIMA: a tool that empowers funds of all sizes to achieve professional-grade management without the hefty price tag. #MOICinYourPocket

Executive Producer

Above The Line

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II served as an Executive Producer for the 2025 dark comedy heist film Above the Line, starring Cedric The Entertainer, Gregg Henry, and Sophia Ali. This project represents a pivotal intersection of my lifelong passion for cinema—rooted in my early career as a film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Film Festival Magazine—and my mission to revolutionize the M&E industry leveraging MarkitPlace. MarkitPlace is a Network Orchestrator Platform for Content IP Monetization designed to bring cohesion to fragmented retail experiences by managing the creation, distribution, and attribution of shoppable content. My involvement focused on the film’s capitalization and high-level distribution strategy, facilitating key introductions to major streaming platforms and Hollywood stakeholders to ensure commercial viability. Beyond the financial architecture, I championed the satirical vision of writers Jeffrey Scott Collins and Jono Matt, representing the film alongside the creative team at its Sun Valley F…

Director Board of Directors

Oii.ai

Present

Board Observer

Entropy

Present

Board Chair

ENTROPY