Joanna Rees
Encyclopedia
Joanna Rees is a venture capitalist at VSP Capital in San Francisco, California.
In addition to her role as the managing director at VSP, Rees filed campaign papers announcing her intent to run for Mayor of San Francisco in the November 2011 election.
, the daughter of Joan Rees (née
Pernetti) and John Rees. Rees graduated from Montclair High School and attended Duke University
where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She earned her MBA at the Columbia Business School
.
until leaving in 1989 to attend business school at Columbia University
. She graduated from Columbia and then took over a family-owned hotel business bringing her back to her hometown of Montclair, NJ. After growing and selling that business, she moved to San Francisco, California
in 1993 and opened Eric Restaurant in San Francisco with her now former husband, Eric Gallanter. Rees spent eight years in investment banking with Vrolyk & Co and BA Securities.. In 1996, Rees formed Venture Strategy Partners. The firm's first fund was $25 million followed by $190 million and $175 million funds.
Rees is Chairman of the USA Advisory Board for FON
and also serves on the boards of NewSchools Venture Fund, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
's Bay Area Board, and Duke University's Annual Fund board. She previously held a 4-year term with the National Venture Capital Association
. Rees is also a Lecturer of Management at the Leavey School of Business
at Santa Clara University
.
Rees, along with Facebook
COO Sheryl Sandberg and fellow Silicon Valley venture capitalists John Doerr
and Bill Gurley
recently hosted screenings of the new educational documentary "Waiting for Superman
".
Rees currently serves on the Board of Directors of Endeavor
, an international non-profit development organization that finds and supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
In 2008, the dispute was settled. Matt Crisp said, "This brings an end to an unfortunate episode in our lives. Having had an opportunity to explore the issues in the case and reflect upon the evidence after discovery, I regret making various statements and allegations that Ms. Rees and Mr. Hamm had engaged in theft, embezzlement and certain other wrongful conduct. Those statements turned out not to be factually based. I believe we all think that it is time to move forward with our lives and careers."
In addition to her role as the managing director at VSP, Rees filed campaign papers announcing her intent to run for Mayor of San Francisco in the November 2011 election.
Early life
Rees was born in Montclair, New JerseyMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, the daughter of Joan Rees (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Pernetti) and John Rees. Rees graduated from Montclair High School and attended Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She earned her MBA at the Columbia Business School
Columbia Business School
Columbia Business School is the business school of Columbia University in Manhattan, New York City. It was established in 1916 to provide business training and professional preparation for undergraduate and graduate Columbia University students...
.
Career
In 1985, Rees joined Groupe DanoneGroupe Danone
Groupe Danone is a French food-products multinational corporation based in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It claims world leadership in fresh dairy products, marketed under the corporate name, and also in bottled water...
until leaving in 1989 to attend business school at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. She graduated from Columbia and then took over a family-owned hotel business bringing her back to her hometown of Montclair, NJ. After growing and selling that business, she moved to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1993 and opened Eric Restaurant in San Francisco with her now former husband, Eric Gallanter. Rees spent eight years in investment banking with Vrolyk & Co and BA Securities.. In 1996, Rees formed Venture Strategy Partners. The firm's first fund was $25 million followed by $190 million and $175 million funds.
Rees is Chairman of the USA Advisory Board for FON
FON
Fon is a company that operates a system of dual access wireless networks. Fon is the largest Wi-Fi network in the world, with over 4 million hotspots....
and also serves on the boards of NewSchools Venture Fund, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship , also referred to as NFTE , is an international non-profit organization providing entrepreneurship education programs to young people from low-income communities.Through entrepreneurship education NFTE helps young people from low-income communities build...
's Bay Area Board, and Duke University's Annual Fund board. She previously held a 4-year term with the National Venture Capital Association
National Venture Capital Association
The National Venture Capital Association is the leading trade association representing the venture capital industry in the U.S. The NVCA represents the venture industry in public policy debates in Washington, DC, and promotes high professional standards, professional development, and interaction...
. Rees is also a Lecturer of Management at the Leavey School of Business
Leavey School of Business
The SCU Leavey School of Business is a private academic institution at Santa Clara University. It is one of the professional schools of Santa Clara University. The School of Business was founded in 1923 and accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business thirty years later...
at Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
.
Rees, along with Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
COO Sheryl Sandberg and fellow Silicon Valley venture capitalists John Doerr
John Doerr
L. John Doerr is an American venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in Menlo Park, California, in Silicon Valley. In February 2009, Doerr was appointed as a member of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board to provide the president and his administration with advice and...
and Bill Gurley
Bill Gurley
Bill Gurley is a general partner at Benchmark Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm in Menlo Park, California. His current investments include: Avvo, Glassdoor, LiveOps, Move Networks, Nanosolar, OpenTable, Red 5 Studios, Second Life, Tropos Networks, Vudu, Inc. and Zillow.com...
recently hosted screenings of the new educational documentary "Waiting for Superman
Waiting for Superman
Waiting for "Superman" is a 2010 documentary film from director Davis Guggenheim and producer Lesley Chilcott. The film analyzes the failures of American public education by following several students through the educational system, hoping to be selected in a lottery for acceptance into charter...
".
Rees currently serves on the Board of Directors of Endeavor
Endeavor (non-profit)
Endeavor is a non-profit organization that pioneered the concept of High-Impact Entrepreneurship in emerging markets. Its mission is to “lead the global movement to catalyze long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best High-Impact Entrepreneurs around the...
, an international non-profit development organization that finds and supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
Wrongful conduct controversy
In 2005, VSP Capital former General Partner Matt Crisp accused Joanna Rees and Jon Hamm of misconduct at the venture capital firm. The scandal shook up Silicon Valley and investors who presumed the firm was close to collapse.In 2008, the dispute was settled. Matt Crisp said, "This brings an end to an unfortunate episode in our lives. Having had an opportunity to explore the issues in the case and reflect upon the evidence after discovery, I regret making various statements and allegations that Ms. Rees and Mr. Hamm had engaged in theft, embezzlement and certain other wrongful conduct. Those statements turned out not to be factually based. I believe we all think that it is time to move forward with our lives and careers."