David Krane

As GV’s CEO and Managing Partner, David Krane has built his life and work around the art of investing — not only in capital, but in deep and long-standing relationships.

David grew up in Corvallis, Oregon, a university town where he was surrounded by people driven by curiosity and life-long learning. The son of a nuclear physicist and author, David understood at an early age that exciting things happen at the crossroads of science and culture. His journey from music major to journalism to investing reflects his enthusiasm for exploration and discovery.

After early career stops at Qualcomm and Apple, David joined Google in 2000 (as employee number 84) and is recognized as a key architect of the early culture and brand. Within a few fast-paced years, he had risen to lead Google’s global communications and public affairs group and was part of the senior leadership team that guided the company’s growth into a multibillion-dollar global enterprise.

Those early years at Google gave David a deep appreciation for the power of listening for counterpoints and leaning into unconventional thinking. He believes the best decisions come from rigorous debate, with different voices around the table. “My approach is to surface the dissenting opinion early,” he explains. “If you can make the hard stuff safe, you can get through it and move to resolution in a way that enables relationships to grow and intensify.”

David balances his time between directing GV’s global activities and leading investments. As an investor, he says, “The easy problems have mostly been solved. We’re left with complex, long-term challenges that demand strong collaboration and creative thinking.” He is most excited by consumer-focused entrepreneurs working to improve critical aspects of our daily lives. His investments include early checks into Uber, StockX, Nothing, Nest, The Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Blue Bottle Coffee.

David is a Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) member and a long-time advisor to the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He received his Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Indiana University-Bloomington and has held board roles at MGM Studios (recently sold to Amazon) and the Dean’s advisory board for the IU School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering.

David is widely recognized for his philanthropic and business leadership. He was named The Center for Conscientious Leadership’s 2024 “Leader of the Year” and featured on Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 2025 “Power 100” list. He also received the Ellis Island Honor Society’s 2024 Ellis Island Medal of Honor award, recognizing acclaimed Americans of immigrant descent for distinguished character and contributions to business and society.

Often described as an extreme extrovert, David has made it his passion to seek out interesting people moving the world forward. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife, three children, two labradoodles, and a vibrant sneaker collection.