Royce Shey
Investment Analyst
Prior Experience
Prior Experience
- Strategy Manager, Njord
- Analyst, Legendary Ventures
Education & Community
- George Washington University, B.A., Business with a concentration in marketing strategy and analytics
About Royce
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE ZEAL TEAM?
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE ZEAL TEAM?
I joined Zeal because I believe entrepreneurship and venture capital investing are ultimately forms of service. Founders dedicate themselves to solving meaningful problems, and investors have the opportunity to help those solutions reach the people who need them. It was important to me to work at a firm where those values were deeply shared. As the child of immigrants, I've seen firsthand how access to opportunity and capitalism can completely change someone's trajectory, and that shaped how I think about investing. Zeal's focus on expanding health, wealth, and skills made it feel like the right place to build my career alongside people who care deeply about the world.
WHAT EXPERIENCES ARE YOU BRINGING WITH YOU INTO YOUR ROLE AT ZEAL?
WHAT EXPERIENCES ARE YOU BRINGING WITH YOU INTO YOUR ROLE AT ZEAL?
I discovered my passion for investing while working at a generalist venture capital fund, where I evaluated companies across consumer, retail, and technology, with investments spanning everything from biotech and aerospace to infrastructure software and consumer products. The experience taught me how to quickly learn new industries, recognize great businesses, and appreciate the common patterns that exist across very different markets.
Before joining Zeal, I was the first full-time North American hire at a Swedish marketing technology startup, where I was responsible for all but one client in the region. Working on a small, fast-moving team taught me that entrepreneurship is a lot like building a plane while you're flying it. It gave me an earned appreciation for how difficult product-market fit and go-to-market execution really are, and that building a great company requires constant testing, learning, and iteration. That operator experience continues to shape how I partner with founders today.
WHAT IS ONE THING MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
WHAT IS ONE THING MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I'm a huge nerd. I love disappearing down rabbit holes and becoming completely absorbed in new topics. In high school, it was the work of the psychologist Carl Jung. More recently, I've become fascinated by the politics of the late Roman Republic and what its rise and fall can teach us about democratic governments today. I'm deeply interested in learning about different religions, in fact, I may return to school and get my Master's in Theology. I'm also learning how to play the Harmonica. Tips and tricks are welcomed.