Archives: Team Members

Patrick Collison is cofounder and chief executive officer of Stripe, a technology company that builds programmable financial services. Patrick and his brother John started Stripe in 2010 with the goal to make accepting payments on the internet simpler. Today millions of businesses—from hypergrowth startups to global enterprises like Ford and Amazon—use Stripe to accept payments, send payouts, and manage complex global businesses online. Patrick is also a cofounder of the Arc Institute, a biomedical research institute that is pioneering a new model for basic research in partnership with Stanford, UCSF and UC Berkeley.

Gita Gopinath is the Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Her research focuses on International Finance and Macroeconomics where she is a leading voice on dollar dominance, exchange rates, trade and investment, international financial crises, monetary policy and debt. Previously, she was the First Deputy Managing Director (FDMD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from January 2022–August 2025 and prior to that she was the Chief Economist of the IMF from January 2019-January 2022. In her role as FDMD, the #2 official of the IMF, she oversaw the work of senior staff, represented the Fund at multilateral fora such as G7 and G20, maintained high-level contacts with member governments and Board members, the media, and other institutions, led the Fund’s work on surveillance and oversaw large IMF programs, such as those for Argentina and Ukraine.

Peter R. Orszag is the CEO and Chairman of Lazard, the global financial advisory and asset management firm renowned for independent, differentiated advice and solutions grounded in contextual alpha—the broad insight and judgment needed to navigate macroeconomic, geopolitical, and other factors, helping leaders see beyond what the world sees today. Peter joined Lazard in 2016 and previously served as CEO of its Financial Advisory business. He has had a distinguished career spanning finance, public policy, and academia. Prior to joining Lazard,  Peter was Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Obama Administration and Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). He also served in the Clinton Administration at the Council of Economic Advisers and as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. Peter is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations, and he serves on the board of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and as a trustee of Mount Sinai Hospital. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and earned his Ph.D. from the London School of Economics as a Marshall Scholar.

Evan Spiegel is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Snap Inc. Snap is a technology company that empowers people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world and have fun together. Evan and Snap co-founder Bobby Murphy created Snapchat while at Stanford University. Today Snap is a publicly traded company with nearly 950 million monthly active users around the world. He and Bobby also co-founded the Snap Foundation, which supports underrepresented youth in Los Angeles. In 2017, Evan formed the Spiegel Family Fund, which is committed to philanthropy in California and across the United States. In addition, following the 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles, Evan co-founded a new nonprofit organization called the Department of Angels, which supports fire-impacted residents as they recover. He also established a 10-year longitudinal effort focused on environmental and public health, encompassing a consortium of academic and medical institutions around the country called the LA Fire HEALTH Study. Evan serves on the boards of KKR & Co. Inc., the Berggruen Institute, and Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences. He is also a member of the Business Roundtable and the Business Council. Evan graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Engineering, Product Design. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Miranda and their four children.

Kevin McCarthy is the 55th Speaker of the House. Described as a man who exudes “true American grit,” McCarthy’s political journey is the quintessential American story. After starting a small business at the age of 21, McCarthy went back to college to earn his bachelor and master degrees in business. He was rejected for an internship to the congressional seat he later held for seventeen years. McCarthy won the Speakership after a historic 15 ballots, and went on to secure $2 trillion in deficit reduction, all while protecting the full faith and credit of the United States, keeping our government open, and making sure our troops were paid. He also refocused Congress on America’s long-term challenges by creating the first-ever Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Throughout his career, McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. He also personally recruited and actively supported commonsense candidates for office who have helped reshape the Republican Party – several of whom have become Senators, Governors, and cabinet secretaries. Overall, under his leadership, dozens of new Republican women, minorities, and veterans have been elected to Congress.  In Congress, he held nearly every elected leadership position in the House Republican conference and served under three Presidents, during two economic crises, and through consistent political upheaval while always maintaining his approach to governing as a Happy Warrior. McCarthy currently serves as Founder and Chairman of ALFA Institute, a policy think tank to advance America’s global position in the next technological space race of artificial intelligence, advanced defense and aerospace technology, energy and critical mineral resources, and next-generation bio and health advances.  McCarthy also serves as Chairman of Watchtower Strategies, a public affairs firm focused on corporate strategic and crisis communications.

Former Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin serves as the Founder and Managing Partner of Liberty Strategic Capital and chairs the firm’s Investment Committee. Liberty Strategic Capital is a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm focused on strategic investments in technology, financial services and fintech, and new forms of content. Former Secretary Mnuchin currently serves on the boards of directors of Liberty Strategic Capital portfolio companies New York Flagstar Financial, Inc. (since 2024), Zimperium, Inc. (since 2022) and Cybereason Inc. (since 2021), and previously served on the boards of directors of Contrast Security, Inc. (2022-23) and BlueVoyant, Inc. (2022-23). Prior to founding Liberty, Mr. Mnuchin served as the 77th Secretary of the Treasury from February 2017 through January 2021. As Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Mnuchin was responsible for leading the U.S. Treasury, whose mission is to maintain a strong economy, foster economic growth, and create job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable prosperity at home and abroad. He was also responsible for strengthening national security by combating economic threats and protecting the U.S. financial system, as well as managing the U.S. Government’s finances. Mr. Mnuchin also oversaw cybersecurity for the financial services sector and all U.S. Treasury bureaus, including the IRS. Former Secretary Mnuchin played a pivotal role in advancing the President’s economic agenda, including the passage and implementation of the Tax Cuts and JOBS Act and the CARES Act. He also led the U.S. Treasury Department’s regulatory reform efforts. Former Secretary Mnuchin was chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and was a member of the National Security Council. He was responsible for using economic tools to combat terrorist financing and other threats to the United States and its allies. Prior to his confirmation, he served as Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Dune Capital Management. He founded OneWest Bank Group LLC and served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until its sale to CIT Group Inc. Earlier in his career, former Secretary Mnuchin worked at The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., where he was a Partner and served as Chief Information Officer, with responsibility for the firm’s global information and technology strategy and operations. He has extensive experience in global financial markets and investments. Former Secretary Mnuchin is committed to philanthropic activities and previously served as a member of the boards of directors of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA), the Whitney Museum of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on the National Mall, the UCLA Health System, the New York Presbyterian Hospital, and the Los Angeles Police Foundation. He was born and raised in New York City and holds a B.A. from Yale University.

Jonathan Levin became Stanford University’s thirteenth president on August 1, 2024. Levin previously served as the Philip H. Knight Professor and Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business from 2016 to 2024 and as chair of Stanford’s department of economics from 2011 to 2014. A leading economist, he is widely recognized for his scholarship in industrial organization and market design. President Levin’s scholarly work has spanned topics ranging from incentive contracts to game theory, e-commerce, and health insurance. He has conducted influential research on the organization and design of markets, subprime lending, and empirical methods to study imperfect competition. In 2011, he received the John Bates Clark Medal as the economist under the age of 40 who has made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. Levin is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a former Guggenheim Fellow, and a recipient of department and school awards for distinguished teaching. In September 2016, Levin became the tenth dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Under his leadership, Stanford GSB strengthened its position as the preeminent institution of management research and education. The school invested in new research programs, reimagined and significantly increased financial aid, expanded online and global programs, introduced classes for Stanford undergraduates, and developed ambitious collaborations focused on technology, sustainability, and other critical issues for business and society.  From 2021 to 2025, Levin served as a member of President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. He is a Trustee of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. He has consulted widely in industry and government. He was part of the international expert group that designed the first vaccine Advance Market Commitment for pneumococcal disease and participated in the design of the FCC’s noted broadcast spectrum incentive auction. 

Meg Whitman was confirmed in a unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate as the eighteenth United States Ambassador to Kenya on July 14, 2022. In Kenya she focused on accelerating economic growth and development, forged new conservation initiatives, supported good governance and democratic principles and oversaw significant humanitarian assistance. She returned home in December 2024 with the change in U.S. administration. Ambassador Whitman has significant experience leading business organizations, from start-ups to large multinational companies in Silicon Valley. She has served as the President and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the Hewlett-Packard Company, both multinational information technology companies. She also served as President and CEO of eBay Inc, an online marketplace and digital payments company. Ms. Whitman has also been a member of numerous corporate boards of directors, including those of Procter & Gamble and General Motors. Committed to equality in education and protection of the environment, Ambassador Whitman has been National Board Chair of Teach For America and a Member of the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy.  Ambassador Whitman is married to Dr. Griffith Harsh, a neurosurgeon. They have two grown sons and three grandchildren. Whitman holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in Economics from Princeton University.

Heidi Williams is the Orville E. Dryfoos Professor in Economics and Public Affairs at Dartmouth College. She is currently lead editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, and works part-time at the Congressional Budget Office. Together with Ben Jones, Heidi co-directs the National Bureau of Economic Research Innovation Policy working group. She is also Director of Science Policy at the Institute for Progress and a nonresident senior fellow at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings.  Heidi received her AB in mathematics from Dartmouth College in 2003, her MSc in development economics from Oxford University in 2004, and her PhD in economics from Harvard in 2010. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Econometric Society, and is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2015).