Thought Leader Series - The Systems Leader: An Evening with Rob Siegel, Lecturer at Stanford GSB
Thought Leader Series
The Systems Leader: An Evening with Rob Siegel
An event hosted by the Stanford GSB VC Alumni Chapter
Date & Time: July 23, 2025
Evening Program: 6:00–8:00 PM (Main session 6:30–7:30 PM)
Location: Stanford Campus (Detailed venue information will be sent upon registration approval)
Soft drinks provided
Overview
Join us for a special installment of our Thought Leader Series featuring Rob Siegel, Lecturer in Management at Stanford GSB and author of The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today’s Companies. In this exclusive evening, Rob will dive into how today’s executives and entrepreneurs can navigate complexity, balance competing demands, and lead organizations that thrive in an ever-changing world.
Who Should Attend
Stanford alumni working in venture capital, entrepreneurship, technology leadership, and corporate management; current Stanford students; and faculty and staff interested in leadership systems, organizational design, and innovation.
Schedule
6:00–6:30 PM – Pre-event Networking
6:30–6:45 PM – Keynote by Rob Siegel
6:45–7:15 PM – Fireside Chat with Rob Siegel, moderated by Jing Kuang
7:15–7:30 PM – Audience Q&A
7:30–8:00 PM – Post-Event Networking
Featured Speaker
Rob Siegel Lecturer in Management, Stanford GSB; Venture Partner at Piva Capital; General Partner at XSeed Capital
Robert Siegel is a Lecturer in Management and has taught nine different courses in his time at Stanford. He has authored over 115 cases and led primary research on Google, Charles Schwab, Daimler, AB InBev, Box, Stripe, Target, AngelList, 23andMe, C3.ai, Majid Al Futtaim, Tableau, PayPal, Autodesk, Minted, Axel Springer, and Michelin, amongst others.
He is also a Venture Partner at Piva Capital and a General Partner at XSeed Capital. He sits on the Board of Directors of Bidra Innovation Ventures, Avochato and Findmine, and led investments in Zooz (acquired by PayU of Naspers), Hive, Lex Machina (acquired by LexisNexis of the RELX Group), CirroSecure (acquired by Palo Alto Networks), Nova Credit, The League (acquired by Match Group), Teapot (acquired by Stripe), Pixlee TurnTo (acquired by Emplifi), and SIPX (acquired by ProQuest).
Robert is a Member of the Supervisory Board of HERE Technologies, and was a Member of the company’s Industry Advisory Board from 2017 - 2022. He is the Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board for TTTech Computertechnik AG in Vienna, Austria. He is a Member of the Industry Advisory Board for Tulco and was on the board of SmartDrive Systems for 14 years (acquired by Omnitracs). He is the Co-President Emeritus of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs, an alumni association that fosters relationships to strengthen the Stanford startup community.
Robert is the author of The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today’s Companies, and The Brains and Brawn Company: How Leading Organizations Blend the Best of Digital and Physical. He has coauthored several articles for the Harvard Business Review and California Management Review, and is a frequent contributor to Fortune, TechCrunch, VentureBeat and Forbes.
He was previously General Manager of the video and software solutions division for GE Security. He was also Executive Vice President of Pixim, Inc., a fabless semiconductor firm specializing in image sensors and processors (acquired by Sony). Before Pixim, Robert was Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Weave Innovations Inc. (acquired by Kodak), a network services developer that invented the world’s first digital picture frame, and delivered photos and other digital media to PCs and internet / mobile devices.
Robert served in various management roles at Intel Corporation, including an executive position on their corporate business development team, in which he invested capital in startups that were strategically aligned with Intel’s vision.
He is the co-inventor of four patents and served as lead researcher for Andy Grove’s best-selling book, Only the Paranoid Survive.
Robert holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is married with three grown children.
Moderator
Jing Kuang, Founding Partner of Y+ Ventures; President of Stanford GSB VC Alumni Chapter
Jing Kuang is the Founding Partner of Y+ Ventures, a modern venture capital firm that invests 100% in category-defining, consumer-facing AI startups at the earliest stages, with deeply human-centered and unapologetically AI-native edge, backed by an all-female Stanford team.
Prior to founding Y+ Ventures, Jing served for seven years as President & CEO at Yongjia Capital in China, a former subsidiary of one of China's top four financial groups, focusing on cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
A graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA) and Peking University (BS Finance), Jing remains deeply connected to both institutions in the eastern and western worlds. She was a guest lecturer at Peking University on venture capital and entrepreneurship. At Stanford, Jing serves as the President for the Stanford GSB Venture Capital Alumni Chapter, fostering meaningful connections among alumni who shape the future of venture capital and entrepreneurship globally.
Hosted by the Stanford GSB VC Alumni Chapter, this event promises to be an enriching experience for those interested in the evolving landscape of venture capital and the venture mindset. Don’t miss the chance to gain valuable insights and connect with fellow alumni and professionals in the industry.