Description

Kim Polese is a leading Silicon Valley entrepreneur and innovator. She currently serves as Chairman of ClearStreet, a startup company leveraging the power of social incentives to help people build savings, eliminate debt and achieve long-term financial health.

Polese was the founding product manager for Java at Sun Microsystems and led its launch in 1995. She then co-founded Marimba Inc., a leader in Internet systems management, and served as President, CEO and Chairman, leading the company through a successful IPO and acquisition by BMC Corporation. Polese also served as CEO of SpikeSource Inc., a pioneer in the automation of open source application management. She began her career at AI company IntelliCorp, helping companies use expert systems to transform their businesses.

Polese is a prominent advocate of public policy to increase AmericaÍs innovation capacity and is a member of President ObamaÍs Innovation Advisory Board. She also serves on the boards of TechNet, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the Public Policy Institute of California, the University of California PresidentÍs Board on Science and Innovation, the Long Now Foundation and the Global Security Institute. Polese is the recipient of the numerous awards and recognition including Time MagazineÍs ñ25 Most Influential Americans;î the National Center for Women in Technology ñInnovator of the Year,î and San Francisco Business JournalÍs ñMost Influential Womenî.

Polese earned her BachelorÍs degree in Biophysics at UC Berkeley and studied computer science at the University of Washington. She received an honorary doctorate in Business and Economics from California State University.