Sixty years ago, a high-spirited girl named Wu Chien spent her afternoons dashing along the dusty streets of her provincial neighborhood, surrounded by friends. They experienced the joy of living in the moment, where their modest community on the outskirts of Taiwan felt like a boundless playground.
It was a simpler, slower-paced life without modern conveniences like television or widespread electricity.
“Our parents gave us complete freedom,” she recalled. “They didn’t put limits on us. We grew whichever way we would go. It was a lovely childhood.”
When that girl, now known as Janie Tsao, grew up, she married Victor Tsao, and they moved to the U.S., settling in Irvine.
In 1988, they took out a $10,000 loan to launch Linksys, which revolutionized computer networking by making web connectivity accessible and affordable for home users and small businesses.
Their company caught the eye of Cisco Systems and was snapped up in a $500 million deal in 2003. They were inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame by the Consumer Electronic Association in 2014.
The Business Journal estimates the family’s wealth at $1.4 billion, ranking the couple No. 38 on our annual list of Orange County’s wealthiest.
Their success eventually led to the Tsao Family Foundation, which currently has $84 million in assets as of 2022.
“We created the Tsao Family Foundation with the intention of giving back,” Janie Tsao said.
Looking for a Cause
The Tsao Family Foundation focuses on boosting the mental and physical well-being of kids, perinatal women and babies, investing in education to help children rise above poverty. The foundation supports specialized learning for kids with unique needs and promotes Chinese culture and heritage.
Initially, she and Victor weren’t sure what specific causes they wanted the foundation to support. At the time, they were heavily involved in Miven Venture Partners, the VC firm they founded in 2005, helping startups grow by offering their experience and connections.
“We felt our background would allow us to spot good technology companies, and we can facilitate the gap of manufacturing and operations or building up channels,” Janie Tsao said.
During this period, the Tsao Family Foundation offered scholarships sporadically, but its mission wasn’t a primary focus. That changed about five years ago.
“I saw an opportunity to involve my daughters-in-law in our philanthropic efforts,” she said.
The family hired a consultant to help identify where to invest their time, effort and funding.
Through interviews with the Tsao sons, their wives and Janie and Victor, the consultant identified overlapping passions.
“It came together very naturally,” Janie Tsao said. “Everyone’s focus was on children, women and at-risk individuals, which naturally included education. Our connection to Chinese culture also played a significant role.”
With the consultant’s guidance, the mission of the Tsao Family Foundation began to take shape. Tsao’s daughters-in-law, Yvonne and Yeshin, played key roles in defining this mission.
Ultimately, the foundation’s mission crystallized into: “We exist to instill hope and help people realize there is always a path forward. These beliefs are our mantra, purpose, and mission as a family foundation.”
Shaped by Experience
Janie Tsao acknowledged the challenges her parents faced leaving China, which was taken over by the communists, to Taiwan, which was not well-developed at the time. Her father, a retired officer in the Chinese army, demonstrated the importance of being resolute in the face of any obstacle.
“I don’t like to think about how difficult it was. There was a lot on my mom,” she recalled.
Reflecting on her carefree childhood, Janie Tsao remembered how her mother’s love kept her grounded even as she “ran the streets.”
Her mother cared for four children, with Janie as the youngest. An elderly grandmother was part of the household as well. Despite the tough economic times, her mother always ensured the family had what they needed.
“She always made things for us,” Janie Tsao said. “For example, for the Chinese New Year, she would take her old clothes and make a little jacket for me. Things like that. She was a very caring person.”
After earning her degree in English literature from Tamkang University in Taiwan, she made the life-altering decision to move to the United States in the 1970s.
She dove headfirst into American culture.
“The most challenging part was understanding the sports because, in Taiwan, we don’t have those kinds of sports,” she recalls. Then she adds, laughing, “Or the jokes!”
Linksys
After leaving Taiwan, the couple initially moved to Irvine, where her sister lived. Then after four years in Chicago, where Victor earned a master’s degree in computer science, they moved back to Irvine.
When they launched Linksys, the couple worked seven days a week and were available to customers 24 hours a day.
“I wish I could say that was some sort of vision, but it was just a natural progression of taking advantage of the East/West connection by utilizing our existing resources,” Janie Tsao said.
“It kind of goes intuitively that you need to take the next step and the next step and the next step,” she said about building the company. “At the time, it was really ‘divide and conquer.’ There was—and still is—a synergy and trust.
“Looking back, it’s not that we tried to figure out the best way to work as a couple because we didn’t have time. If I committed something to a customer, I didn’t worry about where the inventory would come from. I just knew it was going to happen.”
For seven straight years, Linksys appeared on Inc. Magazine’s list of one of the fastest growing private enterprises.
“Simply put, we took what we had and did our best to expand it into a business. Everything we did had to pass our gut check that it needed to be natural, organic and fit our style of management. When we saw companies start to add dot.com at the end of their corporate names, we knew it was the time.”
Relative’s Recovery Impact
At 70, Janie Tsao radiates positive energy, along with a bright outlook that shapes her perspective. There’s also a strong streak of cheerful pragmatism.
She says her life’s experiences have affected her philanthropic approach. Challenges, like a close relative’s alcohol dependency, shaped the foundation’s direction as well, giving her a new perspective on those battling substance use disorder and mental health trials.
“(My relative’s) recovery allowed me to see through to the needs of people with this issue,” she says. “I can truly see how they feel when they are relieved (of their addiction).”
Tsao joined the board of Purpose of Recovery, a nonprofit that serves individuals and families in substance use recovery through peer coaching, family support, advocacy and community education.
Mental health issues are frequently tied to substance use disorder, Janie Tsao noted. One of the Tsao Family Foundation’s primary goals is to improve the health—both physical and mental—of children and young people.
The Foundation partnered with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), donating $2 million to provide Wellspaces on all 17 campuses throughout Irvine Unified School District (IUSD).
Wellspaces, operated by school-based mental health staff in partnership with CHOC’s mental health services team, offers support and resources for various health and education topics, positively impacting approximately 7,000 Orange County children and teens.
Janie Tsao hopes that the Tsao Family Foundation will serve as a model for other OC families with the means to start their own foundations.
“What we’ve done with CHOC and the Wellspaces can be replicated in other school districts, in other cities and counties, through other family foundations, anywhere.”
The Foundation
She also serves on the boards of the Susan Samueli Foundation and the South Coast Chinese Culture Association.
Janie Tsao oversees operations at her family’s foundation, rooted in family involvement, with Yvonne and Yeshin preparing for leadership roles.
“When we hired the consultant to define our mission, we made a seven-year plan,” she said. “Now we are in year four. I will be around and involved no matter what. But they can take the organization and run with it.”
“The synergy between the three of us is amazing, with Janie providing strong leadership while still empowering us to pursue our passions in philanthropy,” said Yeshin Tsao.
“Balancing professional and family relationships is never seamless, but Janie ensures we are heard and sets realistic expectations, always keeping family love at the forefront.
“There was an adjustment period,” recalls Yvonne Tsao. “Janie has empowered us. She respects our individual passions.”
For Janie Tsao, focusing on the foundation’s future is crucial.
“When I look at generation three—my grandchildren—they are little kids right now, but who knows where they will be in 25 years. The foundation gives the family an opportunity for future generations to participate. It is a blessing to be in the position to give. It’s a good thing for the family, the community and all the people who are touched.”