About
Naveen Rao is CEO of Unconventional AI. He previously co-founded Nervana, a company focused on developing hardware optimized for artificial intelligence workloads. Rao has a background in neuroscience and processor architecture, and has worked as an entrepreneur and investor in the AI sector.
Experience
- Unconventional AI[un]CEOcurrent2025 β present
- DatabricksAdvisorcurrent2025 β present
- DatabricksVice President of Artificial Intelligence2023 β 2025San Francisco Bay Area
- Allen InstituteScientific advisory boardcurrent2019 β presentGreater Seattle Area
- Beacon BiosignalsBoard Membercurrent2019 β present
- NeuRealityBoard membercurrent2020 β presentIsrael
- Luminous ComputingBoard Member2022 β 2024Santa Clara, CA
- MosaicMLCEO and co-founder2021 β 2023United States
- SquareBoard Member2017 β 2020San Francisco Bay Area
- Intel CorporationCorpVP and General Manager of Artificial Intelligence Products Group2017 β 2020Santa Clara, CA
- Intel CorporationVice President and General Manager (Intel acquisition)2016 β 2017San Diego, California
- NervanaCEO and Co-founder of Nervana2014 β 2016Greater San Diego Area
- QualcommResearcher - neuromorphic machines2012 β 2014San Diego and Massachusetts
- ITGAssistant Vice President2011 β 2012Greater Boston Area
- Brown UniversityPostdoctoral research associate in Neuroscience2011
- W&W Communications (acquired by Cavium networks)Principal Engineer2005 β 2008Mountain View, CA
- W&W Communications ( WWComs )Principal Engineer2005 β 2007
- Sun MicrosystemsStaff Engineer2004 β 2005
- Kealia, Inc.Design and Verfication Engineer2002 β 2004
- Caly NetworksDesign and Verification Engineer1999 β 2002
Education
- Brown UniversityPhD, Neuroscience2007 β 2011
- Stanford UniversityElectrical Engineering1997 β 1998
- Duke UniversityBSEE, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science1993 β 1997
Skills & more
Matlab48C++13C9Microsoft Office3ExcelJava4AnalysisAlgorithms77Neuroscience61Programming24Statistics18System Design3
+12 more
ScienceOptimizationRTL designResearchEngineeringComputer ScienceLifesciencesArchitectural ModelingModelingApplied MathematicsLife SciencesTeachingFrom Naveen's professional profile.
Colleagues at Craft Ventures
Aaron Cort
Operating Partner, Marketing & Growth at Craft Ventures
Arra Malekzadeh
Partner at Craft Ventures
Bil Harmer
Advisor, Infosec at Craft Ventures
Bill Lee
Venture Partner at Craft Ventures
Brian Murray
Partner and COO at Craft Ventures
Bryan Rosenblatt
Partner at Craft Ventures
Caroline Brayson
Operating Partner, Communications & Marketing at Craft Ventures
Cassie Chao Leemans
Operating Partner, Talent at Craft Ventures
Frequently asked questions
- Where does Naveen Rao work?
- Naveen Rao is Craft Advisory Board at Craft Ventures.
Founder mafias
Stanford University mafia855
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Reid HoffmanB.S.Founded Manas AI +1Joe LonsdaleBSFounded Opto +3Mike Maples JrBSFounded Pattern BreakersSteve JurvetsonBSEEFounded Mojo VisionBalaji SrinivasanGraduate StudentFounded Counsyl +1Jess LeeBSFounded Polyvore
+ 848 more
Duke University mafia125
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Fred EhrsamB.S.Founded CoinbaseDavid CummingsBSFounded Undaunted +4Romesh SubramanianM.S.Founded RaNA Therapeutics +2Ian PeikonBSEFounded Cajal Therapeutics +1Carmichael RobertsDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) 1995Founded Lyratherapeutics +1Steve SemelsbergerMBAFounded YouEarnedIt +1
+ 118 more
Brown University mafia109
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Peter ThompsonBachelor's DegreeFounded Cleave Biosciences +4Grant VerstandigFounded Trase +3Sangeeta N. BhatiaBachelor of Science (BSc)Founded Port Therapeutics +3Sophie PurdomEnvironmental Science & EconomicsFounded Sightline Climate +1Sam HodgesBachelor of Arts - BAFounded Vouch +1Drew DurbinFounded Wave +1
+ 102 more
Intel Corporation mafia68
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Jim GoetzMember, Board of DirectorsFounded VitalSignsRajiv KhemaniGM and Director of MarketingFounded Auradine +2Amir FaintuchSenior Vice PresidentFounded Hourly +1Kamesh RaghavendraIntern, Test TechnologiesFounded Geminus +1Ruban KanapathippillaiSenior Design ManagerFounded Iterate AI +1Bruno FavieroSystems Analyst InternFounded Kolena +1
+ 61 more
Databricks mafia23
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Ben HorowitzDirectorFounded OpswareJean Yves StephanSoftware Engineer and Tech Lead ManagerFounded Data Mechanics +1PankajVP, Product and Data PartnershipsFounded AI21 LabsAndy KonwinskiFounderFounded PerplexityDanny WenInvestorFounded Graft ConceptsJonathan FrankleChief AI ScientistFounded Mosaic ML
+ 16 more
Same school
Also attended Brown University394
Theresia GouwFounding Partner at Acrew CapitalAlexis AbramsPartner, General Counsel at Felicis VenturesJohn KimInvestor Relations at General CatalystAli Fisher SweetInvestor at Index VenturesMark GoldbergInvestor at Index VenturesKarim FarisInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)
+ 388 more
Also attended Stanford University2,000
Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundReid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; PCAST co-chair; former White House AI & crypto czarKeith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia Capital
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Duke University499
Fred EhrsamCo-founder and Senior Advisor at Paradigm; founder of NudgeJeremy LevinePartner at Bessemer Venture PartnersJulie YangVice President at InvestcorpScott RaneyManaging Director at Redpoint VenturesJack Bixby LucasGeneral Partner at Lucas Venture GroupVinnie McSweeneyInvestor at OpenView Venture Partners
+ 493 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Unconventional AI7
Viviana FagaGeneral Partner at Felicis VenturesMarcie VuPartner at GreycroftKonstantine BuhlerInvestor at Sequoia CapitalGuru ChahalPartner at Lightspeed Venture PartnersCalvin ChinManaging Partner at E14 FundRam ShanmugamInvestor at Blockchain Founders Fund
+ 1 more
Also worked at Intel Corporation331
Jim GoetzPartner at Sequoia CapitalSundeep PeechuGeneral Partner at Felicis VenturesKarim FarisInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Viswa SankaranarayananVenture Partner at Monta Vista CapitalJob SimonVenture Partner and CTO at Monta Vista CapitalAssaf ArakiInvestment Director at Intel Capital
+ 325 more
.png)











































.png)




























