Reed Jobs, son of the legendary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, is making waves in the world of venture capital. Today, we learned about his new project: “Yosemite,” named sweetly after the park where his parents exchanged vows. The aim? Funding groundbreaking cancer treatments.
Though Reed has mostly kept a low profile, his venture has caught the attention of some big names. Yosemite has already garnered a cool $200 million from notables like MIT, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and investor John Doerr.
But what’s the backstory? In a heart-to-heart with DealBook, Reed shared that his journey took a detour after the sad loss of his father to pancreatic cancer. Then a Stanford undergrad dreaming of becoming a doctor, the personal tragedy made him pivot towards studying history. After obtaining his master’s, he dove into philanthropy alongside his mom at the Emerson Collective, an organization she established in 2004.
Yosemite isn’t just a random startup. It’s essentially Reed taking forward his role from Emerson Collective, where he played a pivotal role in accelerating cancer research. The new venture is both a business and a beacon of hope. While it operates for profit, it also houses a special fund that offers grants to scientists, thanks to its generous partners. The mission? To nurture innovation, help it grow, and then potentially reap both its healing and financial benefits.
By the way, Reed isn’t the only Jobs kid making strides. He has three talented sisters: Lisa Brennan-Jobs, Eve Jobs, and Erin Siena Jobs. We’ll be keeping an eye on Yosemite and wishing Reed the best in this noble endeavor!