# Rex Woodbury

> Rex Woodbury is the founder and managing partner of Daybreak Ventures, an early-stage VC firm, and the creator of Digital Native, a weekly newsletter with 72,000+ subscribers exploring the intersection of technology and culture. A Dartmouth and Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholar, former Goldman Sachs analyst, TPG and Index Ventures partner, Guinness World Record holder, LGBTQ+ advocate, and competitive runner, Woodbury is one of the most distinctive voices in venture capital — blending anthropological observation with market analysis to decode how Gen Z and emerging technology are reshaping commerce, communication, and culture.

- **Role:** Founder & Managing Partner at Daybreak Ventures
- **Organizations:** Daybreak Ventures, Digital Native, Worthy Mentoring
- **From:** Tucson, Arizona, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in Economics (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), Dartmouth College, MBA (Knight-Hennessy Scholar), Stanford Graduate School of Business, M.A. in Education, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Founded Digital Native newsletter, which grew to 72,000+ free subscribers, Set Guinness World Record: fastest half marathon in a suit (1:18:40) at 2016 NYC Half Marathon, Won Knight-Hennessy Scholarship at Stanford (2019) - one of Stanford's most prestigious fellowships

## Career timeline

- **2015** — Joined Goldman Sachs as investment banking analyst
- **2016** — Set Guinness World Record for fastest half marathon in a suit (1:18:40 at NYC Half Marathon)
- **2017** — Moved to TPG Growth / The Rise Fund, executed firm's first investment in Latin America
- **2018** — Joined Airtable in a growth role, then Calm to launch new business verticals
- **2019** — Won Knight-Hennessy Scholarship; enrolled at Stanford GSB
- **2020** — Joined Index Ventures as Principal; launched Digital Native newsletter (February 9, 2020)
- **2022** — Promoted to Partner at Index Ventures; Digital Native surpassed 50,000 subscribers
- **2023** — Left Index Ventures to found Daybreak Ventures
- **2025** — Announced $33M Fund I for Daybreak Ventures (March 2025)

## Achievements

- Founded Digital Native newsletter, which grew to 72,000+ free subscribers
- Set Guinness World Record: fastest half marathon in a suit (1:18:40) at 2016 NYC Half Marathon
- Won Knight-Hennessy Scholarship at Stanford (2019) - one of Stanford's most prestigious fellowships
- Graduated Dartmouth summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
- Published essays in The Atlantic on financialization of everyday life and Web3
- Built 231,000+ Instagram following without monetization
- Closed $33M Fund I for Daybreak Ventures (March 2025)
- Co-founded Worthy Mentoring, LGBTQ+ mentorship nonprofit recognized by The Ellen DeGeneres Show
- Named Wendy's High School Heisman National winner
- Executed TPG's first investment in Latin America

## Latest updates

- **2025-03** — Announced $33M Fund I for Daybreak Ventures, backed by Screendoor, Spheres, Atacama Ventures, and Reference Capital
- **2025-03** — Fortune featured the Daybreak Fund I announcement
- **2024-12** — Published 'Top 10 Most-Read Essays of 2024' recapping a year of Digital Native
- **2024-01** — Digital Native reached 72,000+ free subscribers
- **2023-08** — Left Index Ventures to found Daybreak Ventures

## Links

- Website: https://www.digitalnative.tech/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexwoodbury
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/rex_woodbury
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rexwoodbury/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/rex-woodbury
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-23