Desney Tan
Managing Partner at 42Five Holdings
Desney Tan
Managing Partner at 42Five Holdings
Greater Seattle Area
Overview
Work Experience
Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Microsoft Research
2023
Responsible for multidisciplinary global organization working to create scientific knowledge and deliver innovation that leads to positive human impact at scale. Managing portfolio of work in systems and infrastructure, artificial intelligence and algorithms, as well as human-computer interaction and sociotechnical systems.
Vice President and Managing Director, Microsoft Health Futures
2021 - 2023
Responsible for Microsoft’s cross-organizational Health and Life Science R&D (and moonshots). Built portfolio of programs and partnerships in biomedical technologies (e.g. natural language processing, medical imaging, machine learning), the life sciences (e.g. immunomics, genomics, metagenomics, synthetic biology), as well as various application areas (e.g. population health, mental health, global health access).
Managing Director, Microsoft Healthcare
2015 - 2021
Drove strategy, research, technical development, and business creation for Microsoft Healthcare. Developed new products such as Microsoft Health Bot (millions of monthly active users and tens of millions of messages exchanged in just its first year), EmpowerMD (which powers Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience), etc.
Senior Director, Medical Devices Group
2014 - 2015
Transitioned Microsoft consumer wearable program (e.g. Band) into a medical device program, focused on cardiovascular health. Included development of quality management system and navigating regulatory landscape.
Principal Research Manager, Computational User Experiences Group
2007 - 2014
Started and ran mobile sensing and interaction technique group. Developed and shipped physiological sensing platform on Xbox and Microsoft Kinect. Incubated, developed, and shipped Microsoft Band.
Principal Research Manager, Human-Computer Interaction Group
2009 - 2012
Started and ran haptics and interaction hardware group (including researchers, hardware/software engineers, designers, and social scientists), as well as hardware manufacturing ecosystem that US groups could leverage.
Researcher, Visualization and Interaction Group
2004 - 2007
Research on large display experiences as well as natural user interfaces. Developed and shipped Windows Multi-Monitor functionality, as well as the (neural network-based) Microsoft Handwriting Recognition Engine and the associated Tablet Input Panel (frontend UI/UX).
Member, Board Of Directors
2021
ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) pioneers a comprehensive range of life-changing products and connected health solutions that help people breathe and sleep better.
Member, Board of Directors
2023
Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research and scholarship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.
Strategic Advisor
2022
Immortal is an original content studio dedicated to Essential Wuxia stories, the martial arts fantasy genre of heroism, fantasy action & empowerment.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
2019
Multifamily real estate investing (>$25M and 100+ door portfolio, and growing).
Affiliate Professor
2007
Faculty, Computer Science + DUB Human-Computer Interaction and Design group Co-founder and Chair of Industrial Advisory Board, NSF Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering
Senior Advisor and Chief Technologist
2019
IntuitiveX is a health and life science incubator and consultancy that helps entrepreneurs and startups transform their ideas from concept to commercialization.
Technical Advisor
2019
Proprio develops computational imaging enhanced augmented reality systems to improve the efficacy of precision tasks, like spinal and brain surgery.
Angel Investor
2014
Investments in: Aqueduct, KustomNote, ATG Risk Solutions, Ravenna Solutions, Lumen Learning, Autograph, Bennett Rank, Fanzo, SamePage, Giftbit, Record360, Cartogram, Innovative Dental Technologies, Zipline, Footmarks, Visual Vocal, 2Morrow, Crelate, Slope, RIPL, Hero Sports, Cardtapp, Nexgenia, UTrip, Media Partners, Drone Compiler, Vendor Hawk (acquired by ServiceNow), ActX, Hemex Health, Shark Bite Games, Mindshare Medical, Cardiac Insight, Keepe, Matcherino, Ad Lightning, ...
Angel Investor
2013
Investments in: Red Tricycle, Momunt, SignPost, Recurrency, Wrapify, Cozy, Scout, Crux (acquired by Butter.ai, which was acquired by Box), Red Clay, LeadIQ, Brilliant, Mouth, Birdi (acquired by Luma, which was acquired by First Alert), Clect, DailyDrip , Butter, Talla, Zembula, Stay Wonderful, Votion, Blokable, Underground Cellar, Bee Roll, inside.com, ...