Teresa Truda
Teresa Truda, the CEO and Co-Founder of chozun 途赞, the world’s first travel ecosystem powered by AI, data science and underpinned by blockchain and cryptocurrency, is a global rising star. An international award-winning entrepreneur who left her traditional Italian lifestyle and secure Australian corporate life behind in early 2016 to launch a tech startup in China, Teresa has since raised funding from institutional investors, kicked off in 22 cities across China, South-East Asia and Australia and, alongside co-founder Zia Word, become the first women to launch their own travel and loyalty cryptocurrency in APAC, with an ICO due to be released in April 2018.
Never one to shy from a challenge, Teresa identified a gap in the market for a personalised lifestyle services and experiences for the millennial traveller after having the need herself as a road warrior. A business plan written on a 16 hour flight and with market validation, Teresa realised this idea, along with taking it to the Chinese outbound travel market while likely deemed “risky” by most, could be a game changer on a global scale.
A leader and problem solver, Teresa used her corporate strengths to develop a strategic direction for the business, quickly bringing co-founder, Zia Word, into the mix. Together they built a prototype to validate the concept before raising seed investment, relocating to China, building a team of world class engineers and advisors, and launching headquarters in both Shanghai and Melbourne.
Her savvy sense for now global business, the Chinese market, along with expert knowledge in tech, crypto and passion for exploring new terrain made chozun 途赞 the perfect platform to intersect travel, convenience, personalisation and tech. Since launching chozun 途赞, Teresa has curated a database of over 3,500 providers across APAC, secured partnerships with big names like Hugo Boss, Toll Group, Shangri La hotels, Metlife and British Airways, launched in 22 cities globally, served over 30,000 customers and built a self sustaining business, all within just 12 months.
Now, Teresa and Zia are steadying themselves for the launch of their own cryptocurrency, CZN, with the ICO to be undertaken in April 2018, which will make them the first women to launch a travel and loyalty cryptocurrency in the APAC region.
Teresa’s unique and fresh approach to business has landed her recognition within the global tech community. She has been awarded the GBC first prize for Female Entrepreneurship across China in 2016, the Asia Super Team winner in 2016, and was recognised as a Seedstars Finalist in 2016 and an iGlobal Competition finalist in 2017. In 2017, she was featured in the documentary Girls on the Road, and stars in Cryptorush, a Netflix Documentary due out in Q3 2018.
Teresa is now also a lecturer and sessional teacher at RMIT specialising in advertising, data and planning, media and communication. She is regularly invited to be a guest speaker at female-focused, tech and startup events across Australia and Asia and has spoken at Superwomen in Data, What the Crypto in China, CES Asia, RMIT and Melbourne Fuck Up Nights amongst others.
Teresa is continuing to grow the business steadily with an emphasis on fundraising, expanding destinations, managing the team and building out the product and blockchain infrastructure, to make CZN a value asset to all token holders.
Nominee’s three achievements
1st woman (alongside co-founder Zia Word) in APAC to launch own cryptocurrency
GBC first prize for Female Entrepreneurship across China in 2016
Launched the world’s first travel ecosystem powered by AI, data science and underpinned by blockchain and cryptocurrency
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