Eric Schmidt

Eric Schmidt, cofounder of Schmidt Futures, is an accomplished technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. As Google’s chief executive officer, he pioneered Google’s transformation from a Silicon Valley startup to a global leader in technology. He served as Google’s chief executive officer and chairman from 2001 to 2011, executive chairman from 2011 to 2018, and most recently as technical advisor. Under his leadership, Google dramatically scaled its infrastructure and diversified its product offerings while maintaining a strong culture of innovation. Eric currently serves as chairman of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, chairman of The Broad Institute Board of Directors and as a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees, among others. He is a Gulfstream pilot, and his philanthropic efforts through The Schmidt Family Foundation and the Schmidt Ocean Institute focus on climate change, the support of ocean and marine life studies at sea, as well as education and cutting-edge research and technology in natural sciences and engineering. Additionally, Eric is the co-founder of Schmidt Futures, which bets early on exceptional people making the world better, applying science and technology thoughtfully and bringing people together across fields. In 2019, Eric and his wife Wendy announced a new $1 billion philanthropic commitments to identify and support talent across disciplines and around the globe. As part of this effort, Schmidt Futures, in partnership with the Rhodes Trust, launched its flagship initiative Rise, which aims to increase opportunity for extraordinary young people worldwide and empower them to serve their communities. In 2020, Eric and Schmidt Futures were selected by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to lead the state’s 16-member, blue-ribbon commission to reimagine a stronger and more resilient New York in the midst of the COVID-19pandemic, which resulted in the first-ever mandate for universal, affordable connectivity in the United States. A New York Times bestselling author, Eric is the co-author of The New Digital Age, How Google Works, and Trillion Dollar Coach. He is also the host of “Reimagine with Eric Schmidt,” a podcast series of conversations with leaders to explore how society can build a brighter future after the COVID-19 pandemic.