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Toby Kraus

Co-Founder & CEO at Lightship

Toby Kraus is a distinguished business leader with a versatile background spanning finance, operations, product management, business development, and sales within the realm of high-growth technology companies.

Academically, Toby pursued a Bachelor of Science (BS) and majored in Biomedical Engineering and Economics at Duke University, showcasing a strong foundation in both technical and analytical fields.

With an impressive trajectory, Toby Kraus held key leadership roles in renowned organizations. This includes serving as the Co-Founder & CEO, Co-Founder & President at Lightship, and as an Entrepreneur In Residence at Eclipse Ventures, demonstrating his entrepreneurial acumen and strategic insight.

In his tenure at Proterra Inc, Toby made significant contributions as the Vice President - Proterra Powered, Vice President - Finance & Strategy, and Director - Finance & Strategy, highlighting his proficiency in financial management and strategic planning.

Toby's association with Tesla was marked by a series of impactful roles, such as Senior Manager in Model S Product Management, Head of Finance, and R&D Finance Manager, indicating his strategic financial expertise and operational prowess within the automotive sector.

Prior to his roles at Tesla, Toby Kraus kick-started his career as a Financial Analyst at Tesla and gained early financial acumen as an Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley, illustrating his diverse skill set and adaptability.

Toby Kraus embodies a seasoned professional with a rich tapestry of experiences across various domains, making him a well-rounded and accomplished figure in the business and technology landscape.

Highlights

May 17 · linkedin

When Benjamin Parker and I got started on Lightship, we were inspired by the opportunity to bring two of our passions together: outdoor travel and EVs.

We knew that to really make something game-changing it would not be enough to take a recreational vehicle and simply add batteries to make it “all-electric:” the result would be inefficient, expensive, and altogether uninspiring. We knew that we would need to build something completely new.

We haven’t gotten everything right, but one of our first big decisions that we feel great about is that design needed to become a part of our DNA. For our second hire, we brought on an amazing design leader in Rob Williams and then an incredible team not far behind - Eric Fields, Jessica Pastor Tomás and Matthew Braun.

The Lightship L1 is the result of this team’s great work (in addition to many other team members that turned that design into a reality): a vehicle body that is three times as aerodynamic as the current standard while allowing for significantly more ceiling height and vastly improved visibility and openness; an interior that is not meant to be your miniaturized home but a new human-centered and beautiful space.   If you are interested in learning more about design at Lightship, check out our blog post: https://lnkd.in/grxi-Wt6   And if you’re interested in joining the team, check out our careers page, we are looking for amazing 3D modelers and CMF designers: https://lnkd.in/gnGKS6Gd

Image credit Matthew Braun

Toby Kraus
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Location

Boulder, Colorado, United States