Ryan Graves (businessman)
Ryan Graves | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Inaugural CEO of Uber, board member of Charity: Water, Pachama, Metromile; founder of Saltwater |
| Spouse | Molly Graves |
Ryan Graves (born 1983) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, recognized as Uber's inaugural CEO and former board member. Presently, he holds board positions at Charity: Water, Pachama, and Metromile. Additionally, he leads Saltwater, his personal family investment office.
Early life and education
Hailing from San Diego, California, Graves earned a degree in economics from Miami University in 2006. During his time there, he actively participated in water polo and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Career
Before joining Uber, Graves gained experience at General Electric and completed an internship with Foursquare. In February 2010, after responding to a Twitter message from Travis Kalanick, he became the first employee of Uber. Initially appointed as general manager, he soon advanced to the role of CEO following Uber’s launch. By December 2010, Kalanick succeeded him as CEO, while Graves transitioned to the position of chief operating officer (COO).
By 2019, Graves held 31.9 million shares in Uber and stepped down from its board. The year prior, he established Saltwater, a family office focused on technology investments. In February 2021, he invested $50 million into pay-per-mile auto insurer Metromile and took a seat on its board.
Personal life
Graves is married to Molly Graves, his college partner and a kindergarten educator. The couple has four sons and currently lives on the island of [[KauaTemplate:Okinai]], Hawaii. He is an avid supporter of the San Diego Padres baseball team.
Committed to philanthropy, Graves serves on the board of Charity: Water and has dedicated at least one percent of his wealth to advancing clean water projects in developing countries.