Emily Zhen is a Principal at HealthQuest Capital, where she invests in growth-stage healthcare companies. Before joining HealthQuest Capital in 2026, Emily launched and led the healthcare investing vertical at Zeal Capital Partners, investing in early-stage companies across healthcare, financial technology, and the future of learning and work. Prior to Zeal, Emily was a multi-stage healthcare investor at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), where she helped deploy more than $500 million across investments spanning company incubation and venture capital through growth and post-IPO opportunities. She began her career in healthcare investment banking at Goldman Sachs and has also worked at several digital health startups and in clinical research. Emily is a Kauffman Fellow (Class 30) and has been recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Venture Capital. She serves as a healthcare co-lead for the Emerging Venture Capitalist Association and as an advisor to Asian American Pacific Islander founders through Gold House Ventures. 

Could you explain more about what you do in your roles at EVCA?

I help co-lead EVCA’s healthcare vertical, where we bring together members who invest in or are interested in healthcare. We organize a mix of educational and community-building events, including panels on topics such as AI in healthcare, dinners and happy hours, and even ski trips. It has been a great way to build relationships across the healthcare investing community and create opportunities for members to learn from one another.

What made you interested in taking a leadership role at EVCA?

Since I started investing in venture capital and growth equity in 2020, building genuine relationships with other investors has been an important part of my own career and development. I joined EVCA soon after becoming an investor and met many great friends and colleagues through the organization. When Adam asked whether I would be interested in helping lead the healthcare group, it felt like a natural opportunity to give back to a community that had been valuable to me while helping create those same connections for others.

What is your most contrarian view on an existing or emerging technology trend?

As AI becomes more capable and ubiquitous in healthcare, I believe human interaction will become more valuable, not less. The technology to build AI-enabled healthcare products is becoming increasingly accessible, which means AI itself may become less of a differentiator over time. In healthcare, however, trust, empathy, judgment, and personal connection are difficult to replicate with technology alone. I don’t believe AI will broadly replace healthcare providers, caregivers, or peers; instead, I think the most compelling applications will use AI to make those human interactions more accessible, informed, and efficient. The companies that stand out may ultimately be those that use AI while preserving, or even strengthening, the human relationships at the center of care.