Number of Portfolio Companies 2
Number of Exits 
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  • Primary Job Title Managing Partner
  • Primary Organization 
    West
  • Investor Type  Investment Partner, Individual/Angel
  • Investor Stage  Seed
  • Number of Exits 

Joanna Rees is a Managing Partner at West and leads the firm's investments. She is based in San Francisco.

In addition to her work at West, Joanna currently serves on the corporate board of FICO (NYSE: FICO), Care.com (NYSE: CRCM), Harvest Power, Prelude Fertility, Mursion and Hickies. Joanna is also a Senior Partner of the B Team

(www.bteam.org). Most recently, Joanna led the formation and capital raise for Endeavor Catalyst, an impact investment fund supporting high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Joanna was a candidate for Mayor of San Francisco in November 2011. Joanna was the founder of VSP Capital, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage companies combining technical innovation with market development.

Joanna Rees has served on the board of more than 25 venture-backed companies across a broad range of industries She also served on the Board of the National Venture Capital Association ("NVCA), the Coppola Companies (Francis Ford Coppola), and as Chairman of the USA for Madrid-based FON, Joanna was the co-creator of the Build Brand Value CEO forum which she ran from 1997 to 2003 as part of VSP Capital. Joanna has significant experience in finance and investment banking including positions at BA Securities and a boutique merchant bank, Vrolyk & Co. Joanna held several senior marketing management positions with Groupe Danone, a $20+ billion global consumer products firm, and began her career at DMB&B.

The World Economic Forum selected Joanna Rees as a Global Leader for Tomorrow (GLT). The Aspen Institute selected Joanna for its Henry Crown Fellows. Joanna serves on the non-profit board of Endeavor Global, Build.org and the Representation Project. She also spent more than a decade on the board of the New Schools Venture Fund and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Joanna is a seminar moderator for the Aspen Institute. She is also a Senior Mentor for the Henry Crown Fellowship. She earned her MBA from Columbia University (beta gamma sigma) and a BS from Duke University where she was a member of the gymnastics team.

Number of Investments 2
Joanna Rees has made 2 investments. Their latest investment was Seed Round - Siftery on Feb 2, 2016, when Siftery raised
$4M
.
Announced Date  
Organization Name  
Lead Investor  
Funding Round  
Money Raised  
Feb 2, 2016
Siftery
Seed Round - Siftery
$4M
Jun 15, 2014
Parlio
Seed Round - Parlio
$1.7M
Number of Partner Investments 7
Announced Date  
Organization Name  
Investor Name  
Lead Investor  
Funding Round  
Money Raised  
Jul 15, 2019
Copia
West
Seed Round - Copia
$1.5M
Nov 13, 2018
WOM Protocol
West
Seed Round - WOM Protocol
Aug 9, 2004
AccountNow
Venture Strategy Partners
Series A - AccountNow
$3.5M
Feb 1, 2003
Danger
Venture Strategy Partners
No
Series D - Danger
$35M
Feb 1, 2003
Danger
VSP Capital
Series D - Danger
$35M
Nov 15, 2002
Sabrix
VSP Capital
Yes
Series B - Sabrix
$6.2M
Nov 15, 2002
Sabrix
Venture Strategy Partners
Yes
Series B - Sabrix
$6.2M
Number of Exits 
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Joanna Rees has exits. Their most notable exits are Siftery and Parlio.
  • Siftery Siftery helps the user to discover products that are a great fit for a company and explore what other top companies are using.
  • Parlio Parlio is a social network that connects global citizens to share and discuss perspectives on various subjects.
Number of Current Jobs 3
Joanna Rees has 3 current jobs including Managing Partner at West, Senior Partner at The B Team, and Leadership Seminar Moderator at The Aspen Institute.
Number of Current Board & Advisor Roles 19
Joanna Rees holds 19 board and advisor roles including Member of the Board of Directors at Boon Supply, Member of the Board of Directors at Tentrr, and Board Chair at The Representation Project.
Number of News Articles 27
NewsAug 15, 2018
NewsAug 15, 2018
NewsJul 19, 2018
NewsJul 19, 2018
NewsJun 12, 2018
NewsMay 17, 2018
NewsMay 17, 2018
San Francisco, CA Patch — Joanna Rees On Going Beyond Bioplastic
NewsApr 16, 2018