Bill Liao
{{short description|Australian entrepreneur (born 1967)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bill Liao
| image = File:Bill Liao.jpg
| caption = Bill Liao at the Third Sector Digital Communications and Social Media Convention 2011 in London
| occupation = European venture partner at sosventures
}}
Bill Liao (born William Fu Wei Liao, 1967) is an Australian entrepreneur. He is a venture partner with SOSV and recognised as one of the Top 100 minority ethnic leaders in technology by the Financial Times.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/54a7e6c4-dddb-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c|title=The UK's top 100 black and minority ethnic leaders in technology|website=Financial Times|date=14 November 2018 |language=en-GB|access-date=2018-11-26}}
Career
Liao is a social networking pioneer,{{cite web |url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/life/social-networking-is-losing-direction-pioneer-bill-liao-says |title=Social networking is losing direction, pioneer Bill Liao says |last=Kennedy|first=John|publisher=Silicon Republic |date=13 March 2010 |access-date=1 March 2020 }} author {{cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3390330.Bill_Liao |title=Good Reads - Bill Liao |publisher=GoodReads.com |access-date=1 March 2020 }} and speaker.{{cite web|url=https://frontrowspeakers.com/speakers/bill-liao/ |title=Front Row Speakers |publisher=FrontRowSpeakers.com |access-date=1 March 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://responsibleinnovation-summit.com/speaker/bill-liao |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301122749/https://responsibleinnovation-summit.com/speaker/bill-liao |url-status=usurped |archive-date=1 March 2020 |title=Responsible Innovation Summit - Bill Liao |publisher=ResponsibleInnovation-Summit.com |date=30 October 2019 |access-date=1 March 2020}}
He is a regular attendee at the TED conferences{{cite web |url=http://www.ted.com/profiles/55557 |title= TED Community " Bill Liao |publisher=TED |access-date=5 January 2013}} and also the World Economic Forum New Champions conference.{{cite web |title=Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2008: List of Participants |url=https://www.weforum.org/reports/annual-meeting-new-champions-2008 |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=4 July 2008 |access-date=4 February 2020 }}
Mr. Liao also has worked in the commodities trading arena with several boutique Swiss investment funds.{{Cite web |title=star_s1.htm |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1554970/000135448813005324/star_s1.htm |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.sec.gov}} Since May 9, 2022 Bill Liao has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SRF (SENS Research Foundation)[https://www.sens.org/announcing-the-new-chairman-of-the-srf-board-of-directors/ Announcing the new Chairman of the SRF Board of Directors]. SRF, May 9, 2022
Venture capital
Liao joined SOSV as their European Venture Partner specialising in Internet and social media in 2011. Most notably he has invested in Mark Little's Storyful venture, Silicon Republic as well as MavenHut.{{cite web| url=http://www.mavenhut.com/sos-ventures-invests-500000-euros-in-mavenhut-ltd/ | title=SOS Ventures invests 500.000 euros in MavenHut Ltd |publisher=MavenHut | access-date=1 March 2020 }} In 2014 he founded SOSV's biotech practice, RebelBio,{{cite web| url=https://angel.co/company/rebelbio | title=AngelList}} a VC-led investment programme for BioTech, HealthTech And Life Sciences. Liao is Managing Director {{cite web| url=https://www.inclusiveboards.co.uk/ib100/bill-liao |title=Front Row Speakers| publisher=Inclusive Boards}} of RebelBio, which is a world pioneer for life sciences accelerators.{{cite web |url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/rebelbio-sosv-bill-liao-synthetic-biology |title=RebelBio is the Cork success story that got away |last=Kennedy|first=John|publisher=Silicon Republic |date=28 September 2018 |access-date=1 March 2020 }}
Liao co-founded XING.com, a European early social network founded by Lars Hinrichs in Germany in 2003. He was the first external investor in the company, then called openBC.com. Later, Liao became a supervisory board member.{{cite web|url=https://www.new-work.se/de/newsroom/pressemitteilungen/meldung/press-releasexing-ag-reports-change-in-supervisory-board/|title=XING AG reports change in Supervisory Board |date=12 December 2008 |access-date=1 March 2020}}
Previously, Liao was the Director of Operations (DOO) of telecommunications company Davnet, which achieved the fastest capital value growth in the history of the Australian Stock exchange.{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/business/dare-to-ask-the-stupid-question-and-try-for-a-10000-return-20090828-f2kt.html |title=Dare to ask the stupid question and try for a 10,000% return |publisher=Theage.com.au |date=29 August 2009 |access-date=4 July 2012}} Davnet was acquired by Japanese telecommunications carrier Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) in 1996. Liao left Davnet after the acquisition.
Davnet was previously named Golden Hills Mining NL, a mining and exploration company of precious metals in Australia and was the source of a reverse merger in the creation of Davnet Limited effective January 13, 1999 to February 28, 2002 and subsequently became Davnet Telecommunications Pty Ltd .{{Cite web |title=GOLDEN HILLS MINING NL GHL {{!}} deListed Australia |url=https://www.delisted.com.au/company/golden-hills-mining-nl/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.delisted.com.au}}
Social entrepreneurship
Alongside James Whelton, Liao founded CoderDojo in Ireland in 2011, a not-for-profit organisation that teaches children how to code.{{Cite web|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/bill-liao-and-james-whelton-to-unleash-coder-dojos-on-schools|title=Bill Liao and James Whelton to unleash Coder Dojos on schools - Portfolio {{!}} siliconrepublic.com - Ireland's Technology News Service|last=Kennedy|first=John|date=2011-07-15|website=Silicon Republic|language=en|access-date=2019-12-18}} A champion of teaching children to code CoderDojo has spread to many countries, even getting a royal seal approval to coding clubs by Prince Andrew.{{Cite news |date=2014-03-12 |title=Where the only rule is 'be cool' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-26437730 |access-date=2023-02-12}}{{Cite web |last=Watts |first=Matt |date=2014-07-14 |title=Duke of York backs drive to teach school children computer code skills |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/duke-of-york-backs-drive-to-teach-school-children-computer-code-skills-9604194.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}
He is Chair of Nominet UK's Social Tech Trust,{{Cite web|url=https://socialtechtrust.org/news/nominet-trust-becomes-social-tech-trust-and-announces-a-strategic-partnership-with-social-investment-business/|title= Nominet Trust becomes Social Tech Trust {{!}}| website=Social Tech Trust.org|language=en|access-date=1 March 2020}} a dedicated grant maker in socially motivated tech in the UK. Whilst acting as a trustee, Mr William Fu Wei Liao,{{Cite web |title=Companies House Filings SOCIAL TECH TRUST Company number 06578379 |url=https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/A2-BvEbB9pJm945pMxtfa4P-Tmcx0x7Lcx5Y7FDSjho/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3ONL7JLHI%2F20230212%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20230212T140512Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEEkaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJIMEYCIQDGQnZ9aRLjwYCfHyNn3%2BV6L4w5%2BZF9BTZ5%2B7O5OoOvsQIhAL%2BLS75%2FT0LaUiJtq92e1TDFfEzwICtLjsSUx7QjA2VwKtYECNL%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEQBBoMNDQ5MjI5MDMyODIyIgymqBXfJZQAgK3yDhUqqgTGjQNDW7fU%2F6f7yClA348gzKxIUMja%2Fx8S%2FGPzZhG6mnzKjkkhLnzR3Ne3tZUhsel0O5z1nD3fP8xDV7Lr93jNl6gAM%2FA%2BH2jLRixVm5tOyGWh1ufd%2FoG8dIww5t1wdSO9kQHzXepCF1AqTOD6vpKzQCmTtr67ZmyzoS9iJ67HF5VvSDuhTC1DXjybf0MkEmjeXRByKmtAqX8ZxkyJ5jC18KOwkUvHmqZAtZDuoeMju5XSl8qWw1kCnRW5h2J0BUmkp5aQ3aVmgpG6nxQvshMsPOPXB%2FIB46b%2BKW7jCtRjvBhX2Eyec3tMwkjyeqUX4BKxqydcQAGY9MDH5SvhIwq%2BCvYQtzky5fa9jlA971XFUIDF7I9KlYquI94Pzbzxg1EStcvjWJ9vhO4scLOeRjUMb%2FFHp5tiFqImTtaWpvAzU3TUcG3NedOntkrhib5A8UykvyEa15VMrR8s%2BjHq4gHBSKyFdiX1YqeTbm6n4Ng5%2Ft043lenwho0OWrZ0LBsChkfqdBmGQR3roIG4jkeo2%2BwdHLgSFu%2FpBq5NDHfwsb3c6xpxGfoNv4ab80qlNltCuw1gO4dJWypVJ8PVY2oldk9GcPMfFAwiWiXAVuE1xNDQmOxlndb%2BB0ZlGSntwkOylhJDZPlPBw5aFsBP9AuNyDGRkpYLnOs04LtXo6H%2FcoibETMBVRLT4Kz%2FIC%2BRfi0scu6vRhVVaB4pzk0XjTYtC7kqPDzT%2Fhgt3iPyDCG2aKfBjqoAT5TnApCPCaUbcE9Y%2FbXRywzVXrnwynCOQRr6LbI48NY2mozPzPEBIUe47RcdQYo411pVpwdukJHp9uyf3Dml56HYaugr2nos4dm3JORTK%2FBUbNnX49N2CAW4NT%2Bb%2F25iKUHPqCbjm819s1voo%2B%2BflAc5cMaY3%2F%2FKD7ggtAzW6fif7ckuST5848VaNnXxnD6DHTqWVQzMXE20VU1mzPVq8SAZqbyj6AlFQ%3D%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%22companies_house_document.pdf%22&X-Amz-Signature=08c8377670fa580bb1361078ac27e63f540e72890e726d11747d24572f082e84}} for Nominet UK in 2013, CoderDojo (Hello World Foundation - now part of part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation) received the sum of £27,990 in grant support.{{Cite web |title=Nominet Charitable Foundation Financial Statements For Year Ending April 2014 |url=https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/fTxPp7RolTyPJ5NMhoXCMhPwH2WJ3GypiLLRf7R24Yk/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3ONL7JLHI%2F20230212%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20230212T140635Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEEkaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJIMEYCIQDGQnZ9aRLjwYCfHyNn3%2BV6L4w5%2BZF9BTZ5%2B7O5OoOvsQIhAL%2BLS75%2FT0LaUiJtq92e1TDFfEzwICtLjsSUx7QjA2VwKtYECNL%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEQBBoMNDQ5MjI5MDMyODIyIgymqBXfJZQAgK3yDhUqqgTGjQNDW7fU%2F6f7yClA348gzKxIUMja%2Fx8S%2FGPzZhG6mnzKjkkhLnzR3Ne3tZUhsel0O5z1nD3fP8xDV7Lr93jNl6gAM%2FA%2BH2jLRixVm5tOyGWh1ufd%2FoG8dIww5t1wdSO9kQHzXepCF1AqTOD6vpKzQCmTtr67ZmyzoS9iJ67HF5VvSDuhTC1DXjybf0MkEmjeXRByKmtAqX8ZxkyJ5jC18KOwkUvHmqZAtZDuoeMju5XSl8qWw1kCnRW5h2J0BUmkp5aQ3aVmgpG6nxQvshMsPOPXB%2FIB46b%2BKW7jCtRjvBhX2Eyec3tMwkjyeqUX4BKxqydcQAGY9MDH5SvhIwq%2BCvYQtzky5fa9jlA971XFUIDF7I9KlYquI94Pzbzxg1EStcvjWJ9vhO4scLOeRjUMb%2FFHp5tiFqImTtaWpvAzU3TUcG3NedOntkrhib5A8UykvyEa15VMrR8s%2BjHq4gHBSKyFdiX1YqeTbm6n4Ng5%2Ft043lenwho0OWrZ0LBsChkfqdBmGQR3roIG4jkeo2%2BwdHLgSFu%2FpBq5NDHfwsb3c6xpxGfoNv4ab80qlNltCuw1gO4dJWypVJ8PVY2oldk9GcPMfFAwiWiXAVuE1xNDQmOxlndb%2BB0ZlGSntwkOylhJDZPlPBw5aFsBP9AuNyDGRkpYLnOs04LtXo6H%2FcoibETMBVRLT4Kz%2FIC%2BRfi0scu6vRhVVaB4pzk0XjTYtC7kqPDzT%2Fhgt3iPyDCG2aKfBjqoAT5TnApCPCaUbcE9Y%2FbXRywzVXrnwynCOQRr6LbI48NY2mozPzPEBIUe47RcdQYo411pVpwdukJHp9uyf3Dml56HYaugr2nos4dm3JORTK%2FBUbNnX49N2CAW4NT%2Bb%2F25iKUHPqCbjm819s1voo%2B%2BflAc5cMaY3%2F%2FKD7ggtAzW6fif7ckuST5848VaNnXxnD6DHTqWVQzMXE20VU1mzPVq8SAZqbyj6AlFQ%3D%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%22companies_house_document.pdf%22&X-Amz-Signature=a9e7c7c7ec268271b6468147bdb4c807d3fc906c670ef168de7d5870cd8dd736}}
He is also a CoderDojo mentor and he has participated as an investor and volunteer in The Hunger Project in Uganda, New York and Mexico.{{cite web|url=http://www.marketingshift.com/2009/8/bill-liao-entrepreneur-philanthropist-.cfm |title=Bill Liao Setting a Philanthropic Example via The Hunger Project |publisher=MarketingStream |date=19 August 2009 |access-date=1 March 2020}}
Climate activism
In 2009, Liao founded WeForest.org,.{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforest.org/page/about-us|title=WeForest - About Us| website=WeForest.org|access-date=1 March 2020}} an organisation promoting reforestation as a way to combat global warming.{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforest.org/page/why-it-matters |title=WeForest - Why It Matters| website=WeForest.org|access-date=1 March 2020}} WeForest.org continues, with a stated goal of planting two trillion trees by 2020 and is run from Belgium by its current CEO Marie-Noelle Keijzer.
He is a frequent blog poster on Medium on the subject of Climate Change {{Cite web |last=Liao |first=Bill |date=2020-01-17 |title=WAKE UP! |url=https://liaonet.medium.com/wake-up-2ee168da2e3 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Medium |language=en}} (and other subjects including, 'Psychopaths and how to spot them').{{Cite web |last=Liao |first=Bill |date=2021-06-06 |title=Psychopaths and how to spot them |url=https://medium.com/sosv/psychopaths-and-how-to-spot-them-17f8bfb712f3 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=SOSV |language=en}}
He was an official part of the delegation of St Kitts and Nevis to the COP15 UN climate change summit in Copenhagen where he also promoted the science and concepts behind WeForest.org.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cop15----what-really-happ_b_399762?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACFUMqGPLkxY7dgl_-sczrY0e34LM1gbUuBevzfw4e-iKdssR-Sv0BNtLPYc1C4q0dedW6pKrLQxoLD_nahZnMFwarSQomYPVq4nwVXie5d3A6oEqP5uGymwuxCJgMQzSrrJopJOIkBq2oGzWqbVT7WL5Niw9YVayfuJY7WUj5o1 |title=COP15 — What Really Happened| website=HuffPost|date=18 March 2010|access-date=1 March 2020}}
Liao was appointed as a special diplomatic envoy for St Kitts and Nevis for sustainable development and the environment. He has contributed to the St Kitts and Nevis recovery fund for the sugar cane industry there.{{cite web |last=Liao |first=Bill |date=3 July 2009 |title=Diplomatic appointment letter from the PM | Flickr – Photo Sharing! |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/liao/3683589173/ |access-date=4 July 2012 |publisher=Flickr}}
The award of this diplomatic status was given to Liao via support from Henley & Partners{{Citation |last=Liao |first=Bill |title=Diplomatic appointment letter from the PM |date=2009-07-03 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/liao/3683589173/ |access-date=2023-02-12}} a firm where he sits on their advisory board, and act as the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment. Henley & Partners were subject to an investigative piece by the Guardian newspaper in 2021.{{Cite news |date=2021-04-22 |title=Malta's passports scheme: Henley & Partners full statement |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/22/malta-passports-scheme-henley-partners-full-statement |access-date=2023-02-12 |issn=0261-3077}}
Mr Liao provided a written testimonial to Henley & Partners for the services they provide; 'Henley & Partners is a truly global firm of global citizens supporting global citizens with absolutely outstanding service and results
Involvement in oil and minerals
In 2016 WeForest.org published a statement that confirmed Bill Liao sat on the board of a US based oil exploration company [https://www.linkedin.com/company/starboard-resources/about/ Starboard Resources] (latterly known as Brushy Resources, Inc, then acquired by Lillis Energy, Inc. (OTC: LLEXQ)). An oil exploration and development company operating in the Permian Basin of West Texas and South Eastern New Mexico. Lillis Energy were acquired by [https://www.ameredev.com/ Ameredev].{{Cite web |last=WeForest |date=2016-11-29 |title=Statement |url=https://www.weforest.org/statement/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=WeForest |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION |url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/2075/0001354488-13-005854.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=star_ex9911.htm |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1554970/000135448813003356/star_ex9911.htm |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.sec.gov}}
In a 2016 filing with the SEC its states that 'The Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors, Bill Liao, works for SOSventures'. Further, a group composed of SOSventures, Sean O’Sullivan Revocable Living Trust {{Cite web |title=Sean O'Sullivan Revocable Living Trust - LLEX / Lilis Energy, Inc. - Insider Trade Report |url=https://fintel.io/n/us/llex/sean-o-sullivan-revocable-living-trust |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=fintel.io |language=en}} and Bradford R. Higgins constitute a group owning 4,863,720 or 39.34% of the Company's common stock shares.{{Cite web |title=Brushy Resources, Inc. - FORM 10-K - April 20, 2016 |url=http://getfilings.com/sec-filings/160421/Brushy-Resources-Inc_10-K/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=getfilings.com}} The CEO of SOSV Sean O'Sullivan is known for his environmental projects and is a frequent speaker on the subject, including a lecture on 'Reducing Oil Dependence' given in 2012 to the IIEA.{{Citation |title=Sean O' Sullivan on Reducing Oil Dependence through shared transport |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK1fqJVBADg |language=en |access-date=2023-02-12}}
Liao was named in legal proceedings where he is referred to as an SOSv representative in a dispute with fellow shareholders.{{Cite web |title=star_ex9911.htm |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1554970/000135448813003356/star_ex9911.htm |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.sec.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Sos Ventures LLC Mineral Rights {{!}} Princeton, NJ |url=https://www.mineralholders.com/new-jersey/princeton/sos-ventures-llc/7305586 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.mineralholders.com}}
In SEC filings in 2013 stated clearly that Bill Liao was Director and Chairman of Board of Directors of Starboard Resources.{{Cite web |title=Starboard Resources, Inc. Form S-1/A Filed 2013-10-25 |url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/2075/0001354488-13-005854.pdf}} A fellow director of Starboard Resources was Bradford (Brad) Higgins, also a venture partner at SOSV and former CFO at the US Department of State.{{Cite web |title=Imbruce v. ASYM Capital Investors Counterclaim - [PDF Document] |url=https://documents.pub/document/imbruce-v-asym-capital-investors-counterclaim.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=documents.pub |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=US State Department Archive |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/61827.htm#:~:text=Brad%20Higgins%20was%20sworn%20in,of%20the%20Department%20of%20State}}
Start-up mentor and investor
Mr Liao is a frequent mentor and investor in technology start-up companies. A key subject he delivers advice on is 'the importance of listening'. {{Citation |title=Entrepreneur Bill Liao on the importance of listening |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImHfNmA9F0s |language=en |access-date=2023-02-12}}
Author
Mr Liao's publication issued in 2014, 'Forests. Reasons to be hopeful
In November 2018, Liao was named to the Financial Times' list of the 'Top 100 minority ethnic leaders in technology.'{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/54a7e6c4-dddb-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c|title=The UK's top 100 black and minority ethnic leaders in technology|website=Financial Times|date=14 November 2018 |language=en-GB|access-date=2018-11-26}}
Personal life
He is married with three children and lives in Cork, Ireland.
He appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity in February 2023.{{cite web |title=The Museum of Curiosity - Series 17 - Episode 1 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001jc23 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC Sounds |access-date=4 March 2023}} His hypothetical donation to this imaginary museum was Drosophila melanogaster.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
23. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140202190228/http://www.weforest.org/news/forests-reasons-be-hopeful Forests – Reasons to be Hopeful] – Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110628224804/http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7958285 TV Interview]
- [http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/contentsummit2006/summit06bios.htm#liao/ Club of Amsterdam]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080420145424/http://www.networkdialogues.de/confirmed-thought-leaders/#11/ Network Dialogues]
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