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Tom Preston-Werner
Cofounder at Preston-Werner Ventures
Professional Background
Tom Preston-Werner is a distinguished tech entrepreneur and innovator best known for his significant contributions to the software development community. As a co-founder and the former CEO of GitHub, he played an instrumental role in revolutionizing the way developers collaborate on code. GitHub has become a cornerstone of the open-source community and a critical tool for software development across industries around the world.
After his impactful tenure at GitHub, where he helped nurture the platform's explosive growth, Tom shifted his entrepreneurial spirit towards new ventures. He is currently focused on building innovative applications at Chatterbug, where he aims to enhance language learning through cutting-edge technology. Additionally, Tom is integrally involved with RedwoodJS, a modern framework designed for building full-stack applications, which showcases his commitment to supporting developers in creating efficient and scalable web applications.
Tom’s career reflects not only his technical prowess but also his leadership capabilities as he has served on various boards, including Netlify and HackClub. His diverse experience as an angel investor and pilot adds a unique dimension to his professional profile, demonstrating his passion for exploration both in technology and personal hobbies.
Education and Achievements
Tom Preston-Werner's foundation in technology began early in life. He attended Dubuque Senior High School, where he cultivated an interest in computer science. This interest led him to pursue higher education at Harvey Mudd College, where he studied computer science for two years before deciding to leave and embrace the real-world opportunities that awaited him in the tech sector.
Throughout his illustrious career, Tom has been a co-founder of multiple impactful organizations, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit. Besides GitHub, he has contributed to the establishment of ventures like Chatterbug and Preston-Werner Ventures, enhancing the landscape of technology entrepreneurship. His work has also encompassed creating tools that have become essential to software developers, such as Gravatar - which facilitates online identity management - and Jekyll, a simple and flexible static site generator.
Tom is also known for his advocacy of SemVer (Semantic Versioning) and TOML (Tom's Obvious, Minimal Language), which are crucial in the versioning and configuration of software packages. His efforts in these areas have promoted consistency and ease of use across programming languages and frameworks, empowering developers around the globe.
Notable Achievements
- Co-founder and CEO of GitHub: Under his leadership, GitHub grew to become the largest host of source code in the world, greatly enhancing collaborative coding practices.
- Creator of Jekyll and Gravatar: These tools have become staples widely used in both web development and online identity representation, showcasing his innovative approach to common developer needs.
- Board Member at Netlify and HackClub: His leadership roles reflect his ongoing dedication to cultivating the next generation of tech innovators and ensuring developers have access to the best tools and resources.
- Angel Investor: By backing budding entrepreneurs and their ventures, Tom continues to shape the future of technology and startups, supporting ambitious projects that resonate with his vision for the industry.
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Highlights
Super cool concept and product from @replicatedhq!
What if open source maintainers had a sustainable income source based on secure builds?
https://t.co/RGUJVpOaeq https://t.co/9WsjlW3mfo

Another turn around the sun, and all of a sudden I'm 46 years old! For my last five birthdays, I've given a reverse birthday present, and I am happy to keep the tradition alive this year.
This summer, @HackClub is hosting "Highway to Undercity"—the largest high school hardware hackathon ever—at GitHub HQ in San Francisco. I'm excited to bring 46 high school students to the 3-day event. My $46k gift will fund a grant for each of them to build a hardware project before they come (all the parts), and once they build their device, it will cover their costs to fly to SF and pay for their expenses during the event.
As I write this, a huge wave of innovation is happening in the hardware and robotics space, driven by AI and better/cheaper tooling. I love working with Hack Club because they are geniuses at leveling up promising young engineers through programs like this. I will not be surprised if some of the attendees of this event go on to found companies, ride the robotics wave, and shape our future for the better.
Happy reverse birthday!


