Ellen Pao

Ellen Pao
A picture of Ellen Pao
Ellen Pao in 2015
Born1970 (age 53–54)[1]
New Jersey, U.S.
Alma materPrinceton University (BA)
Harvard University (JD, MBA)
Occupations
Spouses
  • Roger Kuo (divorced)
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 2007; sep. 2019)​
Children1 (with Fletcher)
Websiteellenkpao.com
Signature
Ellen Pao
Traditional Chinese鮑康如
Hanyu PinyinBào Kāngrú
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinBào Kāngrú

Ellen Kangru Pao (born 1970) is an American investor and former interim CEO of social media company Reddit.[1][2][3]

Pao first became known in 2012 for filing a failed gender discrimination suit against her employer, venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, and has continued to express vocal criticism of the hiring and promotion practices in Silicon Valley.[4][5][6]

In 2014, she became interim CEO of Reddit.[7] During this period, the site banned revenge porn, with other social media sites following suit. In 2015, decisions made by the company during her tenure, such as the banning of controversial Reddit communities for harassment, generated a wave of controversy that culminated in her stepping down. The backlash she received sparked debates both on the treatment of women in technology and the need for transparency in a company that relies on volunteers.[8][9][10]

Since 2016, she has been the cofounder and CEO of the nonprofit diversity consulting organization Project Include.[11]

  1. ^ a b Cornwell, Rupert (July 10, 2015). "Ellen Pao, profile: The woman who ran Reddit, and that Silicon Valley loves to hate". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  2. ^ Isaac, Mike (May 3, 2016). "Women in Tech Band Together to Track Diversity, After Hours". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "About Project Include". Project Include. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  4. ^ Elder, Jeff (April 6, 2015). "Ellen Pao says gender issues won't go away after Kleiner trial". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  5. ^ Katz, Brigit (April 6, 2015). "Ellen Pao does not regret her unsuccessful Silicon Valley lawsuit". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  6. ^ "Kleiner Perkins Trial Details Firm's All-Male Ski Trip And Dinner Party". Forbes. February 25, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  7. ^ Ohanian, Alexis (November 13, 2014). "Reddit Blog: Coming home". blog.reddit – what's new on reddit. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  8. ^ "This is the year technology hit rock bottom". CNN. July 19, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  9. ^ Arisohm, Tamar Hiram (July 2015). "My Reddit Utopia". Slate. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  10. ^ Taylor, Rebecca; Parry, Jane (July 13, 2015). "The Reddit Rebellion: Unpaid workers can wield enormous power". Newsweek. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  11. ^ Statt, Nick (May 3, 2016). "Ellen Pao launches advocacy group to improve diversity in the tech industry". The Verge.