Eva Ho

2016 CA summit - California's Creative Disruption

Paul Kedrosky, Rob Freelen, Eva Ho, Gunnar Lovelace, Dave McClure, Jeff Wong

A panel of California innovators and investors dissected the state's widening economic fissures, contrasting its dominance in venture capital and corporate scale with persistent poverty, gender disparities, and a structural gap in mid-market exit opportunities. Speakers highlighted specific disruptive solutions such as Thrive Market's SNAP advocacy, Defy Ventures' recidivism reduction, and EY's "inclusive capitalism" to demonstrate how private-sector efficiency can address entrenched social and regulatory challenges. The discussion concluded with warnings that without proactive wealth redistribution and localized policy experiments, the cultural asset of the "garage entrepreneur" may be undermined by a reactive populist shift driven by systemic inequality.