Ann Crady Weiss
Ann Crady Weiss | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ann Crady Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, venture capitalist, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Known for | Co-founder of HatchBaby; former executive at Yahoo!; founder of Maya's Mom |
Ann Crady Weiss (born Crady) is an American businesswoman, venture capitalist, and a prominent supporter of workplace inclusivity and paid parental leave. Currently, Weiss is leading her second entrepreneurial venture, HatchBaby, which she co-established alongside her spouse, Dave Weiss. Prior to this, she held an executive position at Yahoo! and initially practiced as a corporate attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
Early life
Weiss grew up in Palo Alto, California and completed her secondary education at Gunn High School. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of California, San Diego and later earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center, graduating with honors (cum laude). Demonstrating an early inclination for entrepreneurship, she engaged in small-scale businesses such as selling stationery and operating lemonade stands.
Career
Her professional journey began as a corporate securities lawyer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati between 1997 and 1999. In 2001, Weiss transitioned to Yahoo!, where she served as Director of New Initiatives for Yahoo! Autos and eventually advanced to the role of business development director before departing in 2005. Subsequently, she launched Maya's Mom, a Palo Alto-based parenting platform characterized as a blend between "Yahoo Answers" and Facebook.
Maya's Mom was acquired by BabyCenter in 2007, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson chaired by Tina Sharkey. Weiss continued with BabyCenter as Senior Vice President overseeing Consumer Experience until 2010.
Together with her husband, Weiss founded Hatch Baby, which created the Smart Changing Pad—a tech-enabled product designed for new parents. The company secured $7 million in Series A financing from True Ventures. Their appearance on Season 7 of Shark Tank resulted in an additional $250,000 investment from guest investor Chris Sacca after they proposed an alternative investment approach following an initial rejection of their equity offer.
Personal life
Weiss is a mother to three children.