Pete Zheng is a multidisciplinary product executive with a proven track record across venture-backed startups, big tech, and public sector innovation. Most recently, he served as Head of Generative AI Product at Prospectory.ai, and previously led product at Farther, a VC-backed Series C fintech firm managing 10-figure assets. He also played a key leadership role in Meta’s Core Ads Business Integrity team, shaping product and policy across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Earlier, he served as campaign manager for a 2020 NYC mayoral candidate who polled in the top 10 citywide.
He brings extensive advisory experience, including pro bono product and strategy work for organizations like UNICEF USA, the U.S. Department of Defense, Trickle Up, and Leadership Now Project. He has also taught over 400 students as a graduate teaching assistant across nine courses at Columbia Business School and SIPA.
He currently serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Bronx Arts Ensemble (managing $5M in assets), the Jericho Project (managing $100M), and PIPS Education Fund (helped guide the org through acquisition). He also sits on the Board of Advisors for the University of Pittsburgh Honors College and DoorDash’s Restaurant Advisory Council.
An NIH-backed and internationally cited researcher, Pete has advanced corporate DEI through his studies on team heterogeneity and group dynamics at Columbia Business School. As an undergraduate, he co-founded two social justice organizations and launched a food security program providing daily nutrition to 500 low-income K-12 students for two years.
He brings entrepreneurial depth as founder and executive chairman of his family’s restaurant business, which he helped scale into web3, crypto, and SaaS verticals generating seven-figure ARR. Previously, he raised $1M from Lightbank as the sole founder of Subscribe Store and was recognized by Gaingels as a 2024 "100 Under 100" LGBTQIA+ global leader.
He holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University with a triple specialization in Technology & Media, East Asia, and Management, and a dual concentration in Urban Policy and Economic Development. He received the university’s highest honor, the 2020 Campbell Award. He also holds both a B.A. and a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh Honors College, graduating Summa and Magna Cum Laude across quadruple majors in Economics, Business Administration, Psychology, and Political Science.