# Trae Vassallo

> Trae Vassallo is a Stanford-educated mechanical engineer, venture capitalist, and technology leader who co-founded Good Technology (acquired by Motorola for $500M), served as a General Partner at Kleiner Perkins for 14 years investing in companies like Nest Labs and eero, co-founded Defy Partners (raising $151M+ in capital), and now leads business operations and strategy at Apple. She holds 13 patents across technologies and disciplines, and became a pivotal figure in the conversation about gender bias in Silicon Valley after testifying about sexual harassment in the landmark Ellen Pao v. Kleiner Perkins case and co-authoring the influential 'Elephant in the Valley' survey.

- **Role:** Business Operations, Engagement & Strategy Leader at Apple
- **Organizations:** Apple, Defy Partners, Kleiner Perkins, Good Technology, IDEO, Broadway Angels, Kauffman Fellows
- **From:** Fairmont, Minnesota
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (with honors), Stanford University, Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (with honors), Stanford University, MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business
- **Known for:** Holds 13 patents across broad array of technologies and disciplines, Co-founded Good Technology, sold to Motorola for $500 million (2007), Invested in multiple billion-dollar acquisitions: Nest Labs (Google, $3.2B), eero (Amazon), Dropcam (Google)

## Career timeline

- **1990** — Graduated from Fairmont High School in Minnesota
- **Late 1990s** — Started career at IDEO as product designer, developing products for Palm and Dell
- **2000** — Co-founded Good Technology, an enterprise wireless email services company
- **2003** — Joined Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as General Partner
- **2007** — Good Technology acquired by Motorola for $500 million
- **2011** — Filed sexual harassment complaint at Kleiner Perkins against partner Ajit Nazre
- **2015** — Testified as key witness in Ellen Pao v. Kleiner Perkins gender discrimination case
- **2016** — Co-authored 'Elephant in the Valley' survey on women's experiences in tech
- **2016** — Co-founded Defy Partners with Neil Sequeira
- **2017** — Defy Partners raised $151 million debut fund
- **2019** — Defy Partners raised second fund of $262 million
- **2021** — Joined Apple in Worldwide Operations (August)
- **2024** — Continues role at Apple leading Business Operations, Engagement & Strategy for Office of the CIO

## Achievements

- Holds 13 patents across broad array of technologies and disciplines
- Co-founded Good Technology, sold to Motorola for $500 million (2007)
- Invested in multiple billion-dollar acquisitions: Nest Labs (Google, $3.2B), eero (Amazon), Dropcam (Google)
- Co-founded Defy Partners, raising over $400 million in two funds
- Co-authored influential 'Elephant in the Valley' survey (210+ respondents) exposing gender bias in tech
- Key witness in landmark Ellen Pao v. Kleiner Perkins case, catalyzing #MeToo movement in tech
- Served on board of directors at Telstra, an international telecommunications company
- Member of Stanford Business School Trust and advisor to Stanford Mechanical Engineering Department
- Established Dr. Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship at WPI (seven-figure gift)
- 14-year track record as General Partner at Kleiner Perkins
- Portfolio company exits totaling billions in acquisition value

## Latest updates

- **2024-09** — Featured in Fairmont Sentinel sharing how her upbringing in Fairmont, Minnesota shaped her life and career
- **2025-10** — Active on LinkedIn discussing business operations and technology strategy at Apple
- **2021-08** — Joined Apple as leader in Worldwide Operations, running Business Operations, Engagement & Strategy for the Office of the CIO

## Links

- Website: https://defy.vc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traevassallo
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/trae
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traevassallo

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/trae-vassallo
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-03