Tom Chavez
Founding General Partner
Tom Chavez is a Founding Partner at super{set}. As a serial entrepreneur, he has spent the last 20 years using data, decision science, and AI to solve hard, interesting problems.
Prior to forming super{set}, Tom was CEO and co-founder of Krux, a marketing technology platform acquired by Salesforce in 2016. Before Krux, he was CEO and co-founder of Rapt, a provider of software for media monetization acquired by Microsoft in 2008. Before Rapt he worked as a researcher in probabilistic AI and decision theory at Rockwell and as a Systems Architect at Sun Microsystems, the original ‘Big Tech’ company, where he was employee #35,642. To date, the companies Tom built have generated a 17.5x return for investors and substantial wealth for employees.
Tom holds a B.A. in Computer Science and Philosophy from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Engineering-Economic Systems and Operations Research from Stanford University. He grew up in Albuquerque, NM, the middle child in a family of five kids. To take a break, he likes to play and write music and see live shows.
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super{set} Fund II: $90 million to intensify our serial focus on data+ai company building
Announcing super{set} Fund II
Forbes: Why A Collaborative Approach Trumps "Lone Genius" In Company-Building
Off the heels of super{set}'s first exit - the acquisition of data collaboration company Habu by LiveRamp for $200 Million - Tom Chavez writes how the super{set} approach to collaboration in company building leads to successful outcomes.
Forbes: Why The Biden-Xi Talks Should Put A Microscope On San Francisco
The prettifying and securing of downtown San Francisco, where super{set} is headquartered, should be the norm - not just for special state visits from the world's dictators. Here are 3 things the city of San Francisco should be doing all year round to make the city better to live, work, and invest in. Read Tom Chavez' latest in Forbes.
The Information: The People OpenAI Should Consider for Its New Board
Tom Chavez writes in The Information that "OpenAI’s board needs a data ethicist, a philosopher of mind, a neuroscientist, a computer scientist with interdisciplinary expertise and a political strategist."
Forbes: 5 Startup Studio Misconceptions
It's still early for the startup studio asset class - and we hear misconceptions about the studio model every day, ranging from the basic confusion of accelerators versus studios to downright incorrect assumptions on our deep commitment to the build-out of every company. Read Tom Chavez' latest in Forbes.
Tom Chavez in Huffpost Personal for Hispanic Heritage Month
Writing in the Huffington Post: "My Mom Sent Me And My 4 Siblings To Harvard. Here's The 1 Thing I Tell People About Success."
Tech Crunch: Answering AI’s biggest questions requires an interdisciplinary approach
Tom Chavez, writing in TechCrunch, calls for new approaches to the problems of Ethical AI: "We have to build a more responsible future where companies are trusted stewards of people’s data and where AI-driven innovation is synonymous with good. In the past, legal teams carried the water on issues like privacy, but the brightest among them recognize they can’t solve problems of ethical data use in the age of AI by themselves."
Navigating the Startup Journey from Launch to Finish Line
Are you a launcher, or a finisher? The balance of conviction, a guiding vision, and the right team to execute it all make the difference between entrepreneurial success and failure. Tom Chavez delves into his journey as a first-time CEO and the invaluable guidance he received from a key mentor.
Hold Fast: Game-Changing Wisdom from Seamus Blackley
Creator of the XBox and serial entrepreneur Seamus Blackley joined Tom Chavez on stage at the 2023 super{summit} in New Orleans, Louisiana, for a free-ranging conversation covering the intersection of creativity and technology, recovering back from setbacks to reach new heights, and a pragmatic reflection on the role of fear and regret in entrepreneurship.
Q&A with Accel Founder Arthur Patterson
Arthur Patterson, founder of venture capital firm Accel, sits down for a fireside chat with super{set} founding partner Tom Chavez as part of our biweekly super{set} Community Call. Arthur and Tom cover venture investing, company-building, and even some personal stories from their history together.
The Era of Easy $ Is Over
The era of easy money - or at least, easy returns for VCs - is over. Tom Chavez is calling for VCs to show up in-person at August board meetings, get off the sidelines, and start adding real value and hands-on support for founders.
Too Dumb to Quit
The decision to start a company – or to join an early stage one – is an act of the gut. On good days, I see it as a quasi-spiritual commitment. On bad days, I see it as sheer irrationality. Whichever it is, you’ll be happier if you acknowledge and calmly accept the lunacy of it all...
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San Francisco, CA 94105
San Francisco, CA 94105