John P. Keisler is currently the CEO & Managing Partner for Sunstone Management, Inc., a venture capital firm located in Southern California that invests in diverse early-stage technology startups through innovative public-private-partnerships that blend unique expertise across government, education, and private sectors.

Previous to Sunstone Management, Mr. Keisler spent over 20 years in public service, most recently as the Economic Development Director for the City of Long Beach. With approximately 500,000 residents, the City of Long Beach is the 7th largest city in California and a major engine of economic development for the region and the nation through its university, history of aerospace manufacturing, and its international seaport. Under his leadership, the organization created an innovative Blueprint for Economic Development, and helped to facilitate an historic increase of private sector investment in the city. The mission of the award-winning organization, and John’s personal passion, is to increase equitable economic opportunities for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs in Long Beach and throughout California.

John Shen is the founding partner of Sunstone Management Inc., a southern California-based diversified private capital management and investment firm. He received his undergraduate degree with a major in commercial law from Peking University in 1992 and a Master of Science degree in Statistics and Decision Sciences from Duke University in 1996.

Mr. Shen previously served on the City of Long Beach Economic Development Commission, appointed by Mayor Robert Garcia, and currently serves on the City of Irvine Innovation Council, appointed by Mayor Farrah Khan. Mr. Shen’s projects have collectively created approximately 10,000 full-time jobs throughout the U.S. and properly supported over 600 high net worth foreign families in their immigration petitions. He is a recipient of Duke University’s Forever Duke award for outstanding alumni. He was also a Coleman Report’s SBA 504 Lender of the Year for his outstanding leadership and contributions to business lending nationwide.

Stella Zhang is a partner of investment firm Sunstone Management. Ms. Zhang grew up in China and came to the US in 1997. She obtained her MBA degree from the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2005.

Ms. Zhang helped guide Sunstone to become an innovative ecosystem builder, startup sponsor, and community supporter. Sunstone formed a strategic partnership with California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and became the main sponsor of the Sunstone Innovation Challenge. Sunstone also partnered with the City of Long Beach and CSULB Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) to found the Long Beach Accelerator. Stella led the creation of the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition at her alma mater, UCI. Under her leadership, Sunstone made back-to-back appearances on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies and the Financial Times list of Fastest Growing Companies in the Americas.

Queena Zhao obtained her Masters in Computer Information Systems from Boston University in 2004. She has many years of experience in financials and human resources. She is currently Chief Financial Officer of American Lending Center Holdings.

Mike Stone is partner and Chief Investment Officer of Sunstone Management, Inc., a private capital investment firm in Irvine, CA focusing on applying resources of public sector, private enterprises, and universities in venture capital, private credit and real estate to help entrepreneurs succeed. Prior to joining SMI in 2022, he was first vice president at Morgan Stanley advising high net worth clients on alternative investments including venture capital and impact investments. Prior to that he was vice president at Alliance Bernstein serving institutional and high net worth investors. Prior to joining Bernstein, Stone held account executive and managerial roles from 1996 through 2005, including at Oracle and Siebel, advising Fortune 500, midsize companies, and startups on automation in support of strategic initiatives. He also served on the technology advisory group of US Congressperson Jim Davis. Before that he worked in consulting and engineering roles, including two startups, and published articles on information technology; he began his career as an officer in the Marine Corps working in software development. Mr. Stone has a Master of Science from University of Southern California and is a CFA charterholder.

Richard Jun was the co-founder and managing partner of BAM Ventures, a top performing consumer focused early stage venture fund based in Los Angeles.  Among the firm’s biggest L.A. success stories to date are Honey Science Corp., which sold to PayPal Holdings Inc. for $4 billion, gaming company Scopely which sold for $5 billion to Savy Games and pet company PrettyLitter Inc., which sold to Mars Inc in a high 9 figure transaction.  Rich is a former corporate attorney, and prior to establishing BAM Ventures, served as general counsel for fashion subscription service ShoeDazzle.  He has led investment in more than 120 companies and has been a co-lead judge for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in multiple years.  For the past 4 years, he has been listed on The Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 which celebrates the 500 most influential leaders and impactful executives in Los Angeles.  Rich graduated from Harvard and received his law degree from Columbia University. 

Heather joins Sunstone Management as the Chief Compliance Officer, bringing over 17 years of invaluable experience in ensuring organizations adhere to stringent state and federal securities regulations. Formerly the Chief Compliance Officer at Kairos Investment Management Co., Heather distinguished herself by implementing streamlined compliance protocols that fortified the firm’s strategic market position.​

With a finance degree from DePaul University and a wealth of expertise in Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and finance, Heather is widely respected for her in-depth understanding of legislative nuances and financial investments.​​

Her extensive network spans strong relationships with both private institutions and public agencies, enriching her insights into the evolving landscape of compliance and finance.​

Heather remains an active member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals, where she passionately mentors newcomers, particularly women, in the realms of compliance and finance. Beyond her professional commitments, Heather remains dedicated to community engagement, generously volunteering her time with her son’s football team.​

Jasmine Jiang is the Senior Vice President of Investment Operations at Sunstone Management, where she leads the investment activities and serves as a member of the investment committee. With a focus on seed/early-stage venture capital investments, Jasmine specializes in enterprise software, SaaS, and other emerging technologies. Known for her hands-on approach, Jasmine works closely with founders, providing strategic guidance and support throughout the growth journey of companies from ideation to IPO. Her 10+ years of extensive experience and expertise in the financial services industry have enabled her to drive successful outcomes for portfolio companies. 

Beyond her role at Sunstone, Jasmine is passionate about fostering inclusivity in the startup landscape. As a minority in the US, she leverages her unique identity to build bridges between global markets and establish meaningful collaborations. Jasmine holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. She is dedicated to driving economic growth by establishing public-private partnerships and creating opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Sabrina Li holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. With an extensive background in venture capital, consulting, and the technology industry, Sabrina has developed a profound expertise in investment analysis. Her focus areas include Enterprise SaaS, AI, and the consumer sectors. Sabrina is instrumental in managing Sunstone’s diverse portfolio, leveraging her skills to drive impactful investment decisions and deliver strategic insights. 

Clark Hong-Sheng Hsu holds a Master of International Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy. He is currently working as an Investor Relations Manager at Sunstone Management.

Angie Zuo is a Founder Community Manager at Sunstone Management, specializing in establishing meaningful connections with startup founders across the company’s expanding portfolio. She is primarily working on tracking business progress and spearheading the growth of a vibrant founder community, Angie contributes significantly to fostering innovation and collaborative success. Angie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Quantitative Economics from UC Irvine. Further amplifying her expertise, Angie pursued a Master’s degree in Financial Technology from Duke University.

Zhen is a co-founder of Cheese, a debit card and credit builder fintech startup in the US. Prior to co-founding Cheese, Zhen founded his own SaaS company (Technology Credit) to help start-ups with their R&D tax credit claims. Recently, Zhen joined Sunstone Management to help with the building of the founder-mentor ecosystem.

Prior to the startup journey, Zhen spent 11 years in Ernst &Young’s Federal Tax Consulting in Los Angeles. Zhen became EY China’s R&D tax practice leader during 2014 -2015 after building China’s very first R&D tax consulting practice. During his professional career, Zhen also spent 2 years at Goldman Sachs with the finance division primarily focusing on investment tax compliance and due diligence.

Meet Jayro – an experienced community leader with a proven track record of bridging the gap between government and local stakeholders. He has worked with various agencies, businesses, and officials across multiple cities and brings excellent communication, organization, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills. As a civic-minded individual, Jayro holds key positions in multiple organizations such as the City of Long Beach Economic Development Commission, Long Beach Economic Partnership, and the Arts Council for Long Beach. He is also a member of Leadership Long Beach, which emphasizes integrity, vision, personal responsibility, commitment, and community trusteeship. With his valuable experience in entrepreneurship, nonprofits, corporate, local, state, and federal government, Jayro brings a unique perspective to his work in business and economic development.

Ryan holds a Master of Public Administration with a Certificate of Public Financial Management from the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy. Ryan is an Associate Project Manager at Sunstone Management, where he manages consulting contracts with local governments and researches government funding opportunities for Sunstone and its portfolio companies. Ryan is committed to driving positive change through public-private partnerships and actively seeks to explore the intersectionality of economic development and venture capital.

Jennifer Huang is an accomplished Marketing and Communications Manager with extensive experience in developing and executing strategic marketing and communications plans that drive brand awareness and engagement. With a proven track record of leading successful campaigns, Jennifer excels in digital marketing, public relations, content creation, and media outreach. A UC Berkeley alum (go Bears!), Jennifer has honed her skills through hands-on experience, managing cross-functional teams, and collaborating with stakeholders to achieve organizational goals.

Harry Saltzgaver was born and raised in Colorado. He has been a journalist for more than 40 years starting in Colorado, then moving to California in 1992. 

He served as executive editor of the Grunion Gazette, the Long Beach weekly newspaper, for 31 years. He won an award or two there, including being named national Journalist of the Year for non-dailies by the Gazette’s parent company, Digital First Media, in 2014. He has published two books — ‘Passionately Positive, The Beverly O’Neill Story’ and ‘20 Pounds of Salt in a 10-Pound Bag,” a compilation of his signature column, A Pinch of Salt. 

Saltzgaver has lived a life of community involvement, serving on both public and nonprofit boards. He has served as president of the Public Corporation for the Arts, the Long Beach Recreation Commission and the Long Beach Water Commission, as well as three-year chair of Goodwill of Southern Los Angeles County. He currently is treasurer of the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach, president of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center advisory council, and member for the Rancho Los Alamitos board of trustees and the Long Beach Salvation Army Red Shield. 

He has been married to Maria for 22 years. Between them, they have five children, eight grandchildren, and two big dogs. 

Lo is currently an associate of the Sunstone team. He took a career shift – prior to joining Sunstone, Lo was the lead software engineer in charge of designing and building large scale SaaS solutions. At the same time, he helped several startups to build their tech stacks and support their marketing efforts. 

Lo is a member of the Marketing & Communications team and will be dividing his time between Sunstone Management and American Lending Center.  

Luis is an accounting professional with more than 15 years of experience in corporate accounting and financial services. He began his career at a financial services firm in West L.A., servicing high-net-worth individuals. Later, Luis worked at GemCap Lending, a commercial asset-based lender in Malibu, and most recently he worked at TriLinc Global, LLC, an impact investment fund in Manhattan Beach. He is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles with a B.S. in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting.

A native of Guatemala, Luis is an avid soccer fan and enjoys spending time with his two boys and his wife.

Jessica currently works as the Administrative Officer and Board Secretary at Sunstone Management. She brings over 25 years of administrative experience to the table and has 7 years with the City of Long Beach. She started with the City in August 2015 as an AppleOne temporary employee and was hired as the Bureau Secretary shortly after. Over a span of 3 years she has supported 4 different Department Directors, along with the dynamic and critical Real Estate Development Bureau. In January of 2020, she took on the role of Acting Executive Assistant to the Director and was appointed to the position in May of 2020. At every step through her career, she has met the challenge through personal and professional development.  

Jessica lives in Jurupa Valley with her husband Mitchell and 2 of her youngest of 5 children. She enjoys cooking, singing, listening to music, but most of all spending time with her family.  

David graduated MBA program at Loyola Marymount University who specializes in marketing, project management, and strategic management. He earned his MA in Bioethics from Loyola Marymount University in 2020, and his BA in Philosophy from Cal State Fullerton in 2017. As a CEO Fellow, David is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of strategic initiatives that focus on the growth and acceleration of start-up ecosystems.