Profile: Tiffany Zhong, Islands CEO and metaverse entrepreneur

Tiffany Zhong was the teenage venture capitalist, then the Gen Z whisperer. Now, 25-year-old Zhong wants to help creators build NFT communities with her new company, Islands.

Who is Tiffany Zhong? She’s certainly a talented and ambitious entrepreneur, and she’s been involved in the Silicon Valley world even in her teenage years. Now, she wants to help creators build Web 3.0 [internal link – Web 3.0] communities, and her Islands platform will help make it all possible. She co-founded the platform with Nikhil Srinivasan. 

Interestingly enough, this isn’t Zhong’s first company with Srinivasan! The two teamed up together previously to found ZebraIQ. ZebraIQ worked with established companies such as Snapchat, Levi Strauss, and Turner Broadcasting. 

Let’s talk about Islands

This kind of trajectory is probably why Tiffany Zhong was profiled in the Wall Street Journal at just 18 years old. Long before getting involved with Islands and NFTs, Zhong was already entrenched in the venture capital world. She later chronicled what she learned from the experience in a viral Medium post. Now, she’s focused on her own company.

When Tiffany Zhong talks about the work that she’s doing now, she consistently points out that she’s building infrastructure for the community economy. The goal is quite simple: connect talent to Web 3.0 communities, where creators can engage in a different type of relationship with their followers and fans. Specifically, Islands will help creators build out NFT communities.

With Islands, you’ll request a username, and eventually get a digital wallet to connect to sign up. Users can then create projects (called Islands), but they can also trade NFTs with other members of the community. Creators can also mint NFT projects to share them among their community.

Many crypto startups are interested in launching a token and hoping that a community rises around that token. Zhong is taking a different approach, and isn’t interested in launching an Islands token. Instead, she wants to help creators create communities where they aren’t just monetizing their fans—their fans are also making profits WITH them.

Understanding Gen Z

One of the reasons that Zhong has been able to achieve so much success so quickly is because she understands Gen Z on a deeper level than many other entrepreneurs. In fact, she’s been nicknamed “The Gen Z Whisperer.”

Interestingly enough, she was talking about the virtual world back then: it was just more about Snapchat than Superworld. In a 2020 podcast, she pointed out that brands should think more deeply about the celebrities they associate with, and that brands should truly understand Gen Z language before trying to implement it. 

She’s also been a strong advocate for video content because of how much Gen Z prefers it, since many of them even get their news through mobile video. Zhong also pointed out that the “third place”—something Starbucks was known for—was moving online, thanks to platforms like Fortnite and Discord. She also defends Gen Z when necessary, pointing out that Logan Paul was “normalizing” NFTs and that they should be embraced.

A giant in her corner

One of the most incredible facts about Zhong is that she met Alexis Ohanian (now a billionaire) while she was still in high school at a YCombinator hackathon. For those who may be unaware, Ohanian is a co-founder of Reddit, one of the most popular social networks in the world. Ohanian has invested in Islands. 

The two even joined forces for a new NFT-focused podcast called Probably Nothing. The podcast will include NFT news, deep dives, and interviews with thought leaders and entrepreneurs in the NFT space. Ohanian has pointed out that the idea of tracking ownership on the blockchain is what helped get him excited about the company. He wants to see how the space evolves, and that’s part of “the fun” of investing in it.

The power of community

Tiffany is bullish on the power of community. She thinks that it’s not just about creators anymore, it’s a two-way street with founders and other community members. She has brought up the fact that the Constitution DAO raised millions of dollars in a matter of days, but that this is the potential of Web 3.0: people coming together with shared interests.

Ultimately, the effort failed, but the concept remains. 

Does the future mean that strangers can come together with a shared interest or goal, and end up profiting along the way? Tiffany Zhong is betting that it’s not only possible, it will soon be the norm. 

Zhong is transparent about why she’s excited about Web 3.0. She points out that while Web 2.0 offered a shared community, Web 3.0 offered shared ownership. Web 2.0 communities don’t have a real stake in their community, but Islands can help users “find their tribe” and exchange NFTs seamlessly. Even celebrities are investing back into these new Web 3.0 communities. In the past, community members didn’t have much of a say—now, they will.