Laurie Yoler
Laurie Yoler is a Managing Director at GrowthPoint Technology Partners, an investment bank that helps innovative technology and clean technology companies to raise capital, build strategic alliances and complete M&A transactions. She has been helping emerging technology companies grow for over twenty years as an executive, advisor, investor and board member. She has served on the boards of public companies, private companies, and non-profit organizations. Ms. Yoler currently serves on the board of directors of the Washington State University Research Foundation, and on the advisory boards of Tesla Motors, DNA Direct, TIE, and SDForum.
Previously, Yoler was chief development officer at Intellectual Ventures, working with Nathan Myhrvold exploring invention and investment opportunities in a wide variety of technology areas ranging from software, user interface design, semiconductors, electronic devices, consumer products, lasers, biotechnology and medical devices.
Before joining Intellectual Ventures, Yoler was co-founder and vice president of marketing and business development for Packet Design LLC, a networking R&D firm started by Judy Estrin, Bill Carrico and Van Jacobson. She was instrumental in helping Packet Design spin out three IP networking companies: Vernier Networks, Packet Design Inc., and Precision I/O.
Yoler was previously a director at Sun Microsystems for seven years where she held a number of corporate development, business development, marketing and sales management positions, including three years based in Geneva, Switzerland as the sales director for financial markets for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Prior to Sun, Yoler was the director of product development and management at Visa, where she designed and implemented new banking products, like the Visa Check Card. Before joining Visa, she was a manager in the advanced technology practices of Accenture and PwC.
Yoler was the founding board member of Tesla Motors, and served on its board for five years, and previously served on the board of directors of the public company Interactive Investor (acquired by AMP) and the technical advisory board of Index Ventures.
Yoler graduated summa cum laude from Washington State University with a B.A. in management information systems. She also completed a year abroad in the international business program at the University of Copenhagen. She also completed executive management programs at both Kellogg and INSEAD.
