Merci Grace

Merci Victoria Grace is a prominent figure in the tech industry with a diverse background in product management, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Panobi, a company she founded in October 2021.2

Career Highlights

Entrepreneurship and Founding Roles: Merci's entrepreneurial journey began when she co-founded GameLayers, a venture-backed social games company, after graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in fiction writing.12 Her first game, PMOG: The Nethernet, was nominated for MMO of the Year in 2009.1

Product Leadership: She has held several key product leadership positions, including:

• Head of Growth at Slack (2015-2017), where she led the company's growth from 500,000 to over 6 million daily active users in less than three years12
• Director of Product Management at Gigwalk (2014)2
• Product Manager at CouchSurfing (2012-2013)2

Venture Capital: Merci was a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners from December 2018 to February 2021, where she invested in both consumer and enterprise companies.12

Notable Achievements

• Founder of Women in Product community in 2015, which has grown to over 13,000 women worldwide12
• Named one of the Most Creative People by Fast Company in 20171
• Active angel investor and advisor to early-stage startups1

Current Status

As of September 2024, Merci Victoria Grace describes herself as a "Former founder, VC, and Head of Growth" who is "Currently on break".345 This suggests she may be in a transitional period between ventures or taking time off from her professional pursuits.

Merci Grace's career trajectory showcases her expertise in growth, engagement, and design, as well as her commitment to fostering communities and supporting early-stage startups.