Advance Humanity: Joining YZi Labs to Drive People-Centered Biotech & Healthcare Solutions

Author: Jane He, General Partner, YZi Labs

I’ll never forget the first time I sat down with CZ. We began by talking about science, but the conversation quickly turned to people – the patients who fall through the cracks, the families waiting for answers, the innovators whose voices are too often drowned out by the noise of big players. CZ listened more than he spoke, scribbling notes, his curiosity as genuine as his resolve. There was a sense of urgency in the room: things could be better, and maybe, together, we could help.

Since then, working alongside CZ to guide our family office’s investments in biotech and healthcare, I’ve come to see just how deep his conviction runs. For him, this isn’t about chasing the next big thing. It’s about challenging a system that too often puts profit before people. He’s watched as a handful of giants shape the entire industry, dictating not just the pace of innovation, but who gets access to care and who is left behind. For him, investing in biotech is an act of defiance, a way to open doors for the dreamers, the underdogs, the ones with ideas that could change everything if only they had a chance.

My own reasons for joining this mission are rooted in family. I grew up surrounded by healthcare – almost all of my family members are doctors. I saw, from the inside, how bureaucracy and inertia can stifle progress, how patients sometimes wait years for treatments that already exist, just out of reach. Later, as an investor, I saw how many promising breakthroughs never make it past the starting line, casualties of a system that rewards scale over substance.

When I met CZ, I recognized a kindred spirit. He believes that fairness and innovation aren’t mutually exclusive, that you can build something ambitious without losing sight of the people it’s meant to serve. CZ backs founders others overlook. He bets on new science, new models, new ways of thinking. He’s not afraid to take risks on people who want to change the world, and that’s what pulled me in.

CZ makes me believe that we are building something that feels more like a movement than a fund. We want a world where patients have better choices, where scientists aren’t boxed in by bureaucracy, where small teams with big ideas can push the boundaries of what’s possible. It’s not about writing checks and walking away. It’s about rolling up our sleeves, sitting at the table with founders, and doing the hard work, day after day. This lies with what Stanford GSB gave me: change people, change organizations, change lives. 

CZ could have taken an easier route, but he chose this path because he’s determined to fix what needs fixing most. That determination motivates me every day. We’re backing founders in the hope that, step by step, we can help shape a system that finally puts people first.

That’s why CZ is in this fight, and why I’m right here with him. We’re not just hoping for better – we’re building it, one step, one life at a time.