Foundational Launch Partners

Stanford’s first new school in more than 70 years will launch this fall as the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in recognition of a gift from Ann and John Doerr. Their commitment, together with gifts from other generous lead donors, will extend the university’s scholarship and dramatically amplify its impact in tackling the urgent climate and sustainability challenges facing all people.
 

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“We are deeply grateful to John and Ann for
partnering with us to realize the school’s mission,
as well as to the other generous lead donors
who are leveraging their resources to help
us create a more livable future.”

—Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne

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Ann and John Doerr

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability is named in honor of a historic gift from John and Ann Doerr. Motivated by a deep and urgent desire to avert the worst impacts of  climate change, John and Ann are thrilled to partner with Stanford in launching an innovative, impact-oriented school designed to dramatically accelerate scientific, technological, and policy breakthroughs and solutions.

John Doerr is an engineer, venture capitalist, chair of Kleiner Perkins, and author of bestsellers Measure What Matters and Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now. John serves entrepreneurs with ingenuity and optimism, helping them build bold teams and disruptive companies. As a pioneer of Silicon Valley’s cleantech movement, John has invested in zero emissions technologies since 2006. At Stanford, he has been a guest speaker at the Schools of Engineering, Business, and Law. 

Ann Doerr is chair of Khan Academy, former board member and current advisory board member of the Environmental Defense Fund, and former trustee of Rice University. At Stanford, she has served as a member of Stanford Medicine’s Cancer Council and Under One Umbrella Steering Committee. Together, the Doerrs have generously supported Stanford priorities including Stanford Medicine, Stanford Cancer Center, School of Engineering, Athletics, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and Lively Arts.

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“Stanford is making a bold, actionable, and enduring commitment to tackle humanity’s greatest challenge, and we have deep conviction in its ambition and abilities. We believe the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will be a model for the interdisciplinary collaboration required to solve this existential challenge—and set a new standard for scholarship in the 21st century. Today’s real and pressing challenges—not least, solving our climate crisis—require that knowledge be channeled toward the building of practical, implementable solutions. With a deep track record in groundbreaking scholarship and impact, and a critical mass of subject experts and innovators, Stanford is perfectly positioned to make a measurable difference in climate and sustainability challenges. This is the decisive decade, and we must act with full speed and scale.”  

— Ann and John Doerr  

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Angela and David Filo

Angela, ’93, and David Filo, MS ’90, have provided start-up funding for the new school, ensuring that academic leaders have the resources and flexibility to meet urgent needs.  

A longtime Stanford volunteer leader, Angela is a member of the Stanford Board of Trustees and chairs the board’s Committee on Development. She also serves on the Stanford Vision leadership committee and served on the volunteer Sustainability Task Force in 2020-21. David was named a Stanford Engineering Hero in 2013 for his role in co-founding Yahoo! Inc. In 2008, the Filos helped launch the Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship program, providing generous matching funds and inspiring other donors to join in endowing support for cutting-edge doctoral research.  

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Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang

With a gift of endowment for new faculty hires, Akiko Yamazaki, ’90, and Jerry Yang, ’90, MS ’90, are building on their longstanding support for environment and sustainability initiatives as some of Stanford’s most dedicated volunteers and philanthropists.

Among their many volunteer roles, Jerry became chair of the Stanford Board of Trustees in April 2021, and Akiko chaired the volunteer Sustainability Task Force in 2020-21. In 2007, the couple provided the lead gift to build the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2), which fosters interdisciplinary research and teaching in these areas and helped to create the foundation for the new school.

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Generous commitments from the following additional lead donors will help launch the school with support for faculty and students, innovative programs, and facilities. 

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Katherine States Burke and T. Robert Burke

Toni Cupal and Michelangelo Volpi

Kelly and George Davis

Roberta and Steven Denning

Dan and Rae Emmett

Alexia and Henry Fernandez

Christina Gaw and Greg Donohugh

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Terry Huffington

Mary Ellen and Chris Kanoff

Dorothy and Robert King

Landreth Family

MAC3 Impact Philanthropies

Brad and Carol Mills

Katie and Scott Mitic

Mike and Chrissi Morgan

Laura and Kevin O’Donohue

Lynn and Susan Orr

Jay Precourt

Vijay and Ram Shriram 

Kathy and Michael Shum

Tracy and Gene Sykes

Tidemark Foundation

Anna Rui Wang

Priscilla and Ward Woods

 

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The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability builds on prior investments in Stanford that have helped to create and support a community of faculty, staff, and students in developing knowledge and solutions to sustain our planet. Key elements of this foundation and their primary benefactors include:

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment:
Priscilla and Ward Woods

Precourt Institute for Energy:
Jay Precourt

Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2):
Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki

Center for Ocean Solutions:
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy and
Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance:
Tom Steyer and Kathryn Taylor

Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER):
Dan and Rae Emmett

O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm, including the Terry Huffington Barn:
Laura and Kevin O’Donohue and Terry Huffington, respectively.