Stephen Deng

Stephen is a Co-founder & Partner of DFS Lab, based in San Francisco.

Digital Financial Services Lab (DFS Lab) is an early-stage accelerator that supports entrepreneurs to refine, grow and launch ground-breaking fintech ventures in developing countries. Backed by the Gates Foundation, DFS Lab provides the highest level of mentorship and strategic advice to start-ups. This support helps to build business models that transform the lives of the poorest, profitably and at scale.

Stephen has experience in advising private, NGO, and non-profit clients with their technology strategies. Previously, Stephen worked with the Financial Services for the Poor team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation providing research and grant-making strategy for the team’s technology innovation portfolio. He started his career with LitiNomics, an economic consulting firm in Silicon Valley supporting the intellectual property strategies of clients in the technology, telecommunications, and healthcare sectors. Stephen earned his MBA from the Haas School of Business and his BA in Economics and International Political Economy, both from the University of California at Berkeley.