Fundraising Fox

Evan Williams

Investor

Partner at Obvious Ventures

San Francisco, CA

Writes $250K – $4M checks · typically $1.5M

About

Evan Williams has founded three companies that shaped online publishing: Blogger, which he sold to Google in 2003; Twitter, which he co-founded in 2006 and led as CEO from 2008 to 2010; and Medium, which he founded in 2012 and ran until 2022. He also founded the podcasting company Odeo, out of which Twitter emerged as a side project. He invests through Obvious Ventures.

Contact· published on Evan's own website

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningClimate TechConsumerEnergyHealthtech

Experience

  1. MoziCofounder & Chairmancurrent2023 — present
  2. MediumChairmancurrent2022 — present
  3. MediumCEO2012 — 2022San Francisco Bay Area
  4. Obvious VenturesCo-Foundercurrent2014 — present
  5. TwitterBoard Member2007 — 2019San Francisco Bay Area
  6. TwitterCEO2008 — 2010San Francisco, California, United States
  7. The Obvious CorporationCEO2011 — 2012San Francisco, California, United States
  8. Odeo IncCEO2005 — 2006San Francisco, California, United States
  9. GoogleProgram Manager, Blogger2003 — 2004
  10. Pyra Labs (Blogger)Co-Founder, CEO1999 — 2003San Francisco, California, United States
  11. O'Reilly MediaMarketing Coordinator1997Sebastopol, California, United States

Skills & more

Web Applications12Blogging38User Experience22Entrepreneurship26

From Evan's professional profile.

Investments

Investor

Beyond MeatBlue Bottle CoffeeBranchNest

Per the firm's website.

Podcasts & interviews

featuring Evan Williams

Evan Williams is Done At Medium

TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Colleagues at Obvious Ventures

Amanda Denney
Marketing Director at Obvious Ventures
Amy Abernethy
Obvious Champion at Obvious Ventures
Amy Abernethy, MD
Obvious Champion at Obvious Ventures
Andrew Beebe
Managing Director at Obvious Ventures
Aneesh Chopra
Obvious Champion at Obvious Ventures
Anico Steffen
Senior Executive Assistant at Obvious Ventures
Arek Zarowski
Senior Associate at Obvious Ventures
Brett Hurt
Obvious Champion at Obvious Ventures

Network10

Elad GilScout
Solo general partner investing through Gil Capital
Ashton KutcherScout
Co-founder of Sound Ventures; launching a new deep-tech venture firm with Morgan Beller
Adam GrossScout
Investor at Zenda
Brian BellScout
Founder & Managing Partner at Team Ignite
Adit Singh
Partner at Cota Capital
Andrew Beebe
Managing Director at Obvious Ventures
Arek Zarowski
Senior Associate at Obvious Ventures
Christopher Cheng
Senior Associate at Obvious Ventures
Drew Austin
Investor at Red Beard Ventures
James Joaquin
Co-Founder & Managing Director at Obvious Ventures

Investors connected to Evan in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Evan Williams?
Evan Williams has founded three companies that shaped online publishing: Blogger, which he sold to Google in 2003; Twitter, which he co-founded in 2006 and led as CEO from 2008 to 2010; and Medium, which he founded in 2012 and ran until 2022. He also founded the podcasting company Odeo, out of which Twitter emerged as a side project. He invests through Obvious Ventures.
Where does Evan Williams work?
Evan Williams is Partner at Obvious Ventures.
What does Evan Williams invest in?
Evan Williams invests in AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Consumer, Energy, Healthtech.
What check size does Evan Williams write?
Evan Williams typically writes checks of $250K – $4M.
What companies has Evan Williams invested in?
Investments tracked here include Beyond Meat, Blue Bottle Coffee, Branch, Nest.
Where did Evan Williams go to school?
Evan Williams studied at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
What podcasts and interviews feature Evan Williams?
Tracked appearances include "Evan Williams is Done At Medium".

Paths to reach Evan

People who overlapped with Evan at the same organization — a shared school or employer with one of them is a warm way in.

Together at Obvious VenturesEvan: Partner

Meera Clark2019–2026Partner at Redpoint VenturesJames Joaquin2014–2026Co-Founder & Managing Director at Obvious VenturesBrown UniversityVishal Vasishth2014–2026Co-Founder & Managing Director at Obvious VenturesNorth Carolina State University · UCLA Anderson School of ManagementAndrew Beebe2015–2026Managing Director at Obvious VenturesDartmouth College · The Thacher SchoolKahini Shah2022–2026Partner at Obvious VenturesThe Wharton SchoolRohan Ganesh2022–2026Partner at Obvious VenturesUniversity of Oxford

Together at TwitterEvan: CEO

Elad Gil2009–2012Solo general partner investing through Gil CapitalMassachusetts Institute of Technology · UC San DiegoPeter Fenton2009–2017General Partner at BenchmarkStanford University Graduate School of BusinessMatt Huang2012–2014Co-founder and Managing Partner at ParadigmMischa Vaughn2009–2012Head of Content at Felicis VenturesBard CollegeKevin Thau2008–2014Investor at Spark CapitalSaint Francis High School · UC Santa BarbaraBijan Sabet2008–2011Personal journal

Together at MediumEvan: CEO

David Sze2014–2024Advisory Partner at GreylockBuckingham Browne & Nichols School · Stanford University Graduate School of Business · Yale UniversityAndrew McLaughlin2016Partner at Higher Ground LabsYale UniversityKate Mason2016–2017Venture Partner at AirTree VenturesINSEAD · Stanford University Graduate School of Business · UNSWDaniel Tan2018Fund Director, Principal at Aera VCCFA Institute · Corporate Finance Institute® (CFI) · Nanyang Business SchoolWarren Shaeffer2021–2024Partner at Pear VCHarvard UniversityMorgan Beller2016–2017Investor at NFX

Together at GoogleEvan: Program Manager, Blogger

Aydin Senkut2003–2004Founder & Managing Partner at FelicisBoston University · Deutsche Schule Istanbul / Alman Lisesi · The Wharton SchoolWesley Chan2003–2004Investor at Felicis VenturesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyDeep Nishar2003–2004Investment Team at General CatalystIndian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur · University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignRob Kniaz2004Investor at Hoxton VenturesSt. Mary's Ryken · University of MarylandMiriam Rivera2003–2004Cofounder, Managing Director at Ulu VenturesStanford Law SchoolDan Borok2003Co-Founder and Managing Partner at NVP CapitalColumbia Business School · Stuyvesant High School · University of Vermont

Together at MoziEvan: Cofounder & Chairman

James Joaquin2024–2026Co-Founder & Managing Director at Obvious VenturesBrown University

Founder mafias

University of Nebraska-Lincoln mafia10

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Suresh BatchuFounded Mobile Iron +1Todd SkokanBachelorFounded BirddoghrKevin KimleBachelor's degreeFounded Ag Startup EngineStew BradleyBachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)Founded → ReviveNick EvansFounded AvocadoCarissa CastroBachelor of Science (B.S.)Founded Logica

+ 3 more

Obvious Ventures mafia7

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Yet-Ming ChiangKyocera Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MITFounded 24M Technologies +4Rodney BrooksObvious ChampionFounded Rethink Robotics +2James JoaquinCo-founderFounded Xoom CorporationGlenn KelmanObvious ChampionFounded RedfinPhil EdmundsonObvious ChampionFounded Corvus InsuranceRené LacerteCEO and Founder of BILLFounded Bill.com Holdings, Inc.

Same school

Also attended University of Nebraska-Lincoln42

Jim BarsnessInvestor at FortySix Venture CapitalJennifer MirandaDesign Director at Red Cell IncubationJami HuntManaging Partner at Alpha EdisonDerek MetherAnalyst at Hallstone VenturesDan HoffmanChief Executive Officer at Invest NebraskaBen HohenseeInvestment Analyst at Invest Nebraska

+ 36 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Medium22

David SzeAdvisory Partner at GreylockAndrew McLaughlinPartner at Higher Ground LabsKate MasonVenture Partner at AirTree VenturesDaniel TanFund Director, Principal at Aera VCWarren ShaefferPartner at Pear VCMorgan BellerInvestor at NFX

+ 16 more

Also worked at Twitter174

Elad GilSolo general partner investing through Gil CapitalPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkMatt HuangCo-founder and Managing Partner at ParadigmFei-Fei LiCo-founder & CEO of World Labs; Sequoia Professor of Computer Science at StanfordMischa VaughnHead of Content at Felicis VenturesKevin ThauInvestor at Spark Capital

+ 168 more

Also worked at Google1,715

Ron ConwayFounder of SV AngelElad GilSolo general partner investing through Gil CapitalKai-Fu LeeChairman of Sinovation Ventures and CEO of 01.AIBrian SingermanCo-founder of GPx; Partner Emeritus at Founders FundJess LeePartner and Chief Product Officer at Sequoia CapitalTomasz TunguzFounder & General Partner at Theory Ventures

+ 1,709 more

Also worked at O'Reilly Media12

Dylan FieldCo-founder, CEO & Chair of FigmaJesse RobbinsFounder and Investor in AI Developer ToolsNate LeeFounder and Chief Information Security Officer at Scale Venture PartnersBryan BischofHead of AI at Theory VenturesKelly GoetschPresident, Pipe17 at Mu VenturesAlistair CrollInvestor & GTM Advisor at Highline Beta

+ 6 more