Matthew Stepka

Artist, Explorer, Musician, Social entrepreneur, Technologist

Matthew leads various social impact efforts at Google including Google.org, Google Ideas and Civic Innovation. Some of the projects Matthew has led since joining Google in early 2007 include the following: -- Invested in a constellation of satellites (O3b) to provide Internet access to remote and underserved regions in the developing world -- Worked with the FCC to develop technology to dynamically manage wireless spectrum to foster innovation and improve connectivity -- Made over $1 billion in investments in renewable energy projects capable of generating 2 gigawatts of power -- Tracked and reduced the company’s environmental footprint through onsite renewables and energy efficiency measures -- Launched a think/do tank to address key global challenges (Google Ideas), holding summits on violent extremism, illicit networks and conflict in a connected world, with thought leaders and key stakeholders -- Incubated Google Fiber, now launched in Kansas City -- Launched Google Link, project to bring metro fiber to Kampala, Uganda -- Launched Google in Sub-Saharan Africa, opening 5 offices in the region, mapping the continent, partnering YouTube with local TV networks, investing in a Kenyan startup (Mobile Planet), launching mobile products focused on local needs, and piloting satellite-based, solar-powered internet access for remote villages -- Led Elections & Politics, Google for Non-profits and Crisis Response -- Presided over the Google Foundation, and made $100M+ in grants and social investments annually Prior to joining Google, Matthew was Vice President, Pharmacy for drugstore.com, a leading online health and beauty retailer, and Chief Operating Officer for WorldRes NA, an online hotel reservations network. He was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and Price Waterhouse. In addition, Matthew co-founded CyberJava, one of the first Internet cafes, and was a game/ software programmer. Matthew holds a Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law, where he authored various papers on internet public policy. He has Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Engineering and Management from Case Western Reserve University. Matthew serves on the Board of World Affairs Council and is a member of the California State Bar. Matthew lives in San Francisco, and formerly lived aboard a 35-foot sailboat for over 10 years. In addition to sailing, he enjoys backpacking (climbed Mount Kilimanjaro), running and diving. His personal interests include jazz piano improvisation and creative writing. He studied fine arts and enjoys drawing, painting and sculpture. Matthew is an avid traveler, having visited over 60 countries and territories.

Disruptive technology that reinvents the way society addresses our shared challenges and improves the lives of everyone

Imagine a future where your mobile phone can save your life, protect your political interests and guard your freedom of expression; a future where technology can help you engage with your community, government and nonprofits in a more meaningful and collaborative way, yielding a more open, harmonious and effective society.

In 1995, my friends and I started one of the first Internet cafes, CyberJava in Venice Beach CA. We were all engineers living aboard my sailboat in Marina del Rey, liked hanging out in cafes and could not get enough of the World Wide Web. At that time, the Internet was all about social change, rather than commerce. CyberJava became a Mecca for the local Internet community; a place for people to share ideas and build excitement around this new media. Sometimes it felt more like an evangelist revival than a tech meetup. In the upstairs, we opened a school where I taught classes on everything about the Internet, from getting started to launching an online community. Everything I wrote about in law school was about the implications of the Web on society. Now, it's hard to remember what life was like before the Internet.

Jazz piano, sailing, coding and drawing.