Matt and Swati are the founders of Incite.org, a values-based investor that provides catalytic capital and guidance for world positive start-ups, non-profits, and activists. Their mission is to empower teams with great ideas that solve important, underinvested-in challenges.
Heeding the call to address the climate crisis, Matt leads Incite.org’s investments in climate solutions as well as nonprofits and advocacy groups advancing climate policy. Matt is also the co-founder of Nest, where he built the team that created the first machine learning thermostat and the leading brand for the connected home. Matt is a builder at heart. Prior to Nest, he started his career at Apple, building the software team for 10 generations of the iPod. He was one of the first engineers on the original iPhone and was involved in the development of 5 iPhone generations, and the first iPad. He earned bachelors and masters degrees from Carnegie Mellon University.
In addition to Incite.org, Swati is co-founder of the Arena, which trains the next generation of progressive candidates and campaign staff. Throughout her career, Swati has focused on finding rising leaders, investing in them, building teams around them, getting other like-minded supporters involved, and helping them grow in impact. She learned how great teams and companies are built from the inside at start-ups Quid and Square and how capital supports and amplifies entrepreneurs as part of the early team at Google.org and as a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Swati graduated from Harvard with an AB in Development Studies, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and was a Truman Scholar. She also holds an MPhil in Economic History from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.