Esther Dyson
InvestorHealth Moonshot Impact Board at StartUp Health · Investor at Blue Tulip Ventures · Advisory Board Member at Chanzo Capital · Board director at 23andMe
Muskegon County, Michigan
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About
Esther Dyson is the founder of Wellville, a 10-year national project that supported five US communities ("the W5") in improving equitable wellbeing and influencing how the nation invests in its people and institutions. She chairs EDventure Holdings and works as an active angel investor, author, board member and advisor focused on emerging markets and technologies, new space, and health. She sits on the boards of 23andMe and Voxiva (txt4baby) and has invested in a range of health startups. In 2008-2009 she trained as a backup cosmonaut in Star City outside Moscow. Within Wellville, she serves as the advisor to Muskegon County, Michigan.
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Founded Wellville, a 10-year national project supporting equitable wellbeing in five US communities. Chairman of EDventure Holdings.
- Awards
- Is a best-selling author.
- Hobbies
- Trained as a backup cosmonaut in Star City outside Moscow, Russia, from October 2008 to March 2009.
From Esther's own website — common ground for a warm intro.
Board director at 23andMe
Intro paths
In turn, Esther can intro founders to 23andMe's investors below.
23andMe's investors · 19
Co-founders at 23andMe
Experience
- Computers 4 PeopleMember of Advisory Boardcurrent2026 — presentNew York, NY
- "Term Limits: Human time and AI scale"Working on a bookcurrent2025 — present
- BAMF HealthDirectorcurrent2021 — presentGrand Rapids, Michigan, United States
- Avanlee Caredirector/investorcurrent2020 — presentMontana & New York
- Charity NavigatorTrusteecurrent2019 — presentNew York City Metropolitan Area
- The Commons Project FoundationBoard Membercurrent2019 — presentNew York, New York, United States
- SquareInvestorcurrent2010 — present
- Commercial Spaceflight Federationpatroncurrent2008 — present
- EPAM SystemsInvestorcurrent2008 — present
- New York Angelsangelcurrent2000 — present
- ExpandED Schoolsdirectorcurrent2000 — present
- WellvilleFounder2013 — 2025Greater New York City Area
- Yandexdirector2006 — 2022Moscow, Russia
- Element3 Healthdirector2021 — 2022Colorado, United States
- Luxoftdirector2013 — 2019
- 23andMedirector2007 — 2019
- Meetup, Inc.director2004 — 2017
- Keasadvisory board2012 — 2016
- Sunlight Foundationdirector2008 — 2016
- ClassPassinvestor2013 — 2015
Skills & more
Languages English · French
From Esther's professional profile.
Investments
Board seats
23andMeVoxiva (txt4baby)
Investor
CrohnologyEligible APIKeasOmada HealthSleepioStartUp HealthValkee
Per the investor's own website.
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Esther DysonStories from 10 years of Wellville
Wellville
Writing
All posts ↗Esther Dyson has recently written about the Wellville project's conclusion after ten years, reflecting on how community-led relationship-building drove health and equity gains across five U.S. communities. She also detailed the Muskegon YMCA's diabetes prevention partnership with Trinity Health and introduced a quadrant chart framing short-term versus long-term and self- versus shared-interest thinking.
An open letter reflecting on the 10-year Wellville project, which ended December 31, 2024, describing how five U.S. communities built relationships and community-led initiatives to improve health and equity.', 'published_date': '2025-02-18'.replace('', '')
The post recounts how the Muskegon YMCA shifted toward community outreach and, partnering with Trinity Health, delivered a CDC-funded Diabetes Prevention Program, while noting funding-sustainability challenges.', 'published_date': '2024-06-05'.replace('', '')
The post explains Wellville's quadrant chart, which maps short-term versus long-term and self-interest versus shared-interest thinking, using community examples from Muskegon and North Hartford.', 'published_date': '2024-05-16'.replace('', '')
Colleagues at StartUp Health
Network17
▶5 more connections
Gary Lauder · scoutGautam Godhwani · scoutRick Heitzmann · scoutJohn KuelperLaurel Mintz
Investors connected to Esther in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Esther Dyson?
- Esther Dyson is the founder of Wellville, a 10-year national project that supported five US communities ("the W5") in improving equitable wellbeing and influencing how the nation invests in its people and institutions. She chairs EDventure Holdings and works as an active angel investor, author, board member and advisor focused on emerging markets and technologies, new space, and health. She sits on the boards of 23andMe and Voxiva (txt4baby) and has invested in a range of health startups. In 2008-2009 she trained as a backup cosmonaut in Star City outside Moscow. Within Wellville, she serves as the advisor to Muskegon County, Michigan.
- Where does Esther Dyson work?
- Esther Dyson is Health Moonshot Impact Board at StartUp Health and Board director at 23andMe.
- What boards does Esther Dyson sit on?
- Esther Dyson holds tracked board seats at 23andMe, Voxiva (txt4baby).
- What companies has Esther Dyson invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Crohnology, Eligible API, Keas, Omada Health, Sleepio, StartUp Health, Valkee.
- Where did Esther Dyson go to school?
- Esther Dyson studied at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (certificate of completion, space medicine, space plumbing); Harvard University (BA, economics, Harvard Crimson); Princeton High School.
- What awards has Esther Dyson received?
- Is a best-selling author.
- What has Esther Dyson written?
- Esther Dyson has 3 tracked posts on wellville.net, including "New Beginnings: Looking Forward from the 10-year Wellville Project", "Muskegon YMCA\u2019s Delightful Program for Persistence (of health)", "The Wellville Quadrant Chart: Looking Far and Looking Wide".
- What podcasts and interviews feature Esther Dyson?
- Tracked appearances include "Stories from 10 years of Wellville".
Same school
Also attended Harvard University2,000
+ 1,994 more
Shared employers
Also worked at BAMF Health1
Also worked at Avanlee Care1
Also worked at Yandex28
+ 22 more
