# Laurie Yoler

> Laurie Yoler is a General Partner at Playground Global, a Palo Alto-based deep-tech venture capital firm backing companies working on fundamental technologies - robotics, AI, quantum computing, biotech, and beyond. A founding board member of Tesla and early backer of Zoox (acquired by Amazon for $1.3B), she has spent three decades at the intersection of engineering, strategy, and capital allocation. Before venture, she helped launch Visa's debit card division, built Sun Microsystems' server platform dominance, and ran Qualcomm Labs as President. She holds a summa cum laude degree from Washington State University and audits courses at Stanford across engineering, law, and neuroscience.

- **Role:** General Partner at Playground Global
- **Organizations:** Playground Global, Broadway Angels, Church & Dwight Co. (NYSE: CHD) - Board Director, Computer History Museum - Trustee, Washington State University Research Foundation - Board Member, Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute - Board Member, AI4All - Advisory Board, Platform Science - Advisory Board
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's in Management Information Systems (summa cum laude), Washington State University, International Business (semester abroad), University of Copenhagen, Executive Education / Continuing courses (Engineering, Law, Business, Neuroscience, Biotechnology), Stanford University, Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight, CERT, Executive Education Programs, Kellogg, Stanford, INSEAD
- **Known for:** Founding board member of Tesla Motors (2003), serving through the company's early formative years and IPO, Board member of Zoox through its $1.3 billion acquisition by Amazon in 2020, Helped create the Visa Check Card at Visa during the early debit card era

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Computer scientist specializing in AI at Accenture and PwC
- **1990s** — Joined Visa for four years; helped create the debit card division that produced the Visa Check Card
- **Late 1990s** — Moved to Sun Microsystems, helping establish the company as the go-to server platform for internet-age software
- **Early 2000s** — Founding team member at Packet Design, incubating networking and security companies
- **2003** — Became a founding board member of Tesla Motors
- **2006** — Co-founded GrowthPoint Technology Partners as Founding Managing Director, advising entrepreneurs on M&A, strategic alliances, and capital
- **2008** — Remained on Tesla's board through the company's early growth phase; publicly advocated for green technology and profitability together
- **2013** — Appointed President of Qualcomm Labs and Senior Vice President of Business Development at Qualcomm
- **2016** — Departed Qualcomm after driving internal innovation and strategic partnerships; joined Playground Global
- **2018** — Joined board of Bose Corporation
- **2019** — Earned CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight
- **2020** — Zoox (where she was a board member) acquired by Amazon for approximately $1.3 billion
- **2020-present** — Continues as General Partner at Playground Global; joins Church & Dwight (NYSE: CHD) board
- **2024** — Stepped down from Bose Corporation board after six years

## Achievements

- Founding board member of Tesla Motors (2003), serving through the company's early formative years and IPO
- Board member of Zoox through its $1.3 billion acquisition by Amazon in 2020
- Helped create the Visa Check Card at Visa during the early debit card era
- Led Qualcomm Labs as President and SVP of Business Development
- Served on 20+ boards spanning public companies, startups, and nonprofits across career
- General Partner at Playground Global, backing deep-tech companies in AI, robotics, quantum computing, biotech, and photonics
- Trustee at the Computer History Museum
- Named to NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) Northern California leadership council
- Graduated summa cum laude from Washington State University
- Speaker at Stanford NVCA Venture Capital Symposium and other major conferences

## Latest updates

- **2024-06** — Stepped down from Bose Corporation board after serving since June 2018
- **2023-12** — Playground Global raised new funding (last raised at 2023-12-01), total funding $798M
- **2023-03** — Featured on the ANGEL podcast (E1701) discussing early Tesla investment, strategic partnerships, and VC career
- **2020-07** — Zoox acquired by Amazon for approximately $1.3 billion; Yoler was a board member

## Links

- Website: https://playground.vc/people/laurie-yoler
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yoler
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/LaurieYoler

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/laurie-yoler
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-18