Jaleh Daie is an American scientist, educator and entrepreneur. She is currently a managing partner at Aurora Equity and seed investor for Band of Angels. Daie was the first woman to serve on the U.S. Space Foundation board of directors and was inducted into the

Women in Technology International Women in Technology International (WITI) is an organization promoting the achievements of women in technology and extending support, opportunities, and inspiration. It was founded by Carolyn Leighton in 1989 as the International Network of Women in ...

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

in 1996.

Biography

Jaleh Daie was born in Iran, and studied there before moving to the U.S. Then she became a professor at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

, conducting research in biology by studying the "molecular and cellular physiology of carbohydrate transport and metabolism in plants". After achieving full professorship, she became the first woman to be elected chairman of her department, and was also named Henry Rutgers Fellow. Next Daie taught at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

, and served a number of advisory roles: she was a senior science advisor for the university, a science liaison to the President's

National Science and Technology Council The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is a council in the Executive Branch of the United States. It is designed to coordinate science and technology policy across the branches of federal government. History The National Science and ...

, and a special assistant to the chief scientist at

NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

. Daie was involved in numerous boards and organizations during this time. She was chairwoman for the Council of Scientific Society Presidents, board member for

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is a highly prestigious, non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a small group of graduate students in 1886 ...

, and president of the

Association for Women in Science The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) was founded in 1971 at the annual Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) meeting. The organization aims to combat job discrimination, lower pay, and professional isolation. The ...

. She also headed the science department of the

David and Lucile Packard Foundation The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to not-for-profit organizations. It was created in 1964 by David Packard (co-founder of HP) and his wife Lucile Salter Packard. Following David Packard's death ...

, managing a $120 million budget for science and technology. She served in civic organizations, including the U.S. Space Foundation, where she became treasurer and later their first female board member. Daie also began serving in advisory roles to corporate boards, like Nokia Innovent and Investigen, and taking on venture capital roles. In 1996, she was inducted into the inaugural class of the

. Daie then left the University of Wisconsin-Madison to focus on investing in technology startups through her roles as managing partner at Aurora Equity and member of the Band of Angels. Aurora Equity is a venture investment firm for tech companies in Silicon Valley, and there she focuses on investing in biotech and life science companies. At the Band of Angels, she is the chairman and founder of the AgFoodTech special interest group. Along with these investing positions, she has been an advocate for women and girls in science and technology. Dr. Daie is also a member of the

Iranian American Women Foundation The Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF) is an Iranian American national nonprofit membership organization. Members of all faiths, including Muslims, Jews, Christians and those of the Bahá'í faith, are involved in the organization. History ...

, and she continues her membership in these organizations to this day.

References

External links

"Space Foundation Announces New Directors - Albaugh, Daie, Smith Added to Board"
prnewswire.com

spaceref.com * ttps://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/fellows/news/text/spring2003_04.html "The White House Fellows Program: 2003 Regional Panelists"
"Aviation Week: People on the Move"
Aviation Week
"Space Foundation Elects New Officers"
Space Foundation

New York Times {{DEFAULTSORT:Daie, Jaleh Living people 1948 births American people of Iranian descent American investors American chairpersons of corporations