Susan Akbarpour

Susan Akbarpour is a Managing Partner at Candou Ventures and a Partner at Practical Venture Capital based in Silicon Valley. With over 30 years of experience in technology and media, she previously co-founded and served as CEO of Mavatar Technologies, an e-commerce platform launched in 2011. She currently holds corporate board positions at Facenote and Algopix, while serving as a Limited Partner in multiple venture funds including How Women Invest. Akbarpour earned an MS in Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she established the Akbarpour Aalaei Fellowship in 2021 to support graduate students. In 2025, she was recognized with the Stanford GSB Centennial Alumni Catalysts Award for her ongoing contributions to the university and the broader technology sector. Her current investment focus centers on early stage artificial intelligence, SaaS, blockchain, and consumer internet technologies.