A significant number of venture capitalists have publicly declared their support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Over 100 individuals, including prominent figures like LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Khosla Ventures’ Vinod Khosla, former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, angel investor Ron Conway, and billionaire Chris Sacca, have joined forces under the banner of VCsForKamala.org. This initiative aims to counter the recent trend of right-wing endorsements within Silicon Valley, where individuals like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen have publicly declared their support for former President Donald Trump.
The VCsForKamala group, through their website, emphasizes their commitment to entrepreneurship, technological progress, and democratic values. They are actively encouraging financial contributions to Harris’s campaign, and their efforts have been met with similar enthusiasm from another group, Tech For Kamala. This group, through a letter endorsing Harris, garnered over 550 signatures within just two days, signifying a strong surge of support from within the tech sector.
This coordinated movement represents a notable counter-force to the influence of right-leaning figures within Silicon Valley. Leslie Feinzaig, managing director of Graham & Walker and a key organizer of VCsForKamala, highlighted that these conservative endorsements do not represent the majority opinion within the tech community. She explained that the recent influx of pro-Trump endorsements spurred the formation of their group, and the initiative was quickly organized as support for Harris grew rapidly. Feinzaig emphasized that their campaign is grassroots-driven, focusing on showcasing support for reliable institutions rather than aligning with any specific political party.
Their efforts include a dedicated landing page to monitor donations to Harris’s campaign, though they are not actively bundling contributions. Despite this grassroots approach, concerns have been raised by some Democratic donors regarding the Biden campaign’s engagement with Silicon Valley’s evolving political landscape. In response, the Harris campaign has intensified efforts to connect with tech leaders, including a planned fundraising trip to the San Francisco Bay Area next month.
Julia Collins, founder of the climate tech startup Planet FWD and organizer of the Tech For Kamala letter, highlighted the group’s commitment to involving a wide range of tech industry participants. She emphasized that their efforts are part of a larger grassroots movement encompassing diverse voices within the tech sector. Collins emphasized the group’s mission to build a movement that encompasses everyone in tech, not just high-profile individuals or billionaires. This broad-based support for Harris within the tech community signifies a shift in political dynamics within Silicon Valley, and the upcoming presidential election promises to be a battleground for influence and support between diverse political ideologies.
