Freada Kapor Klein, Ph.D.

Freada Kapor Klein, Ph.D., is an entrepreneur, activist and investor focused on gap-closing strategies. As a Founding Partner at Kapor Capital, she invests in seed-stage tech startups creating positive social outcomes while achieving top-quartile financial returns. 

In 1976, Freada co-founded the Alliance Against Sexual Coercion, the first organization in the U.S. to address sexual harassment. Decades later she was part of the founding team of The Hollywood Commission which brought on Anita Hill as its Board Chair.

She launched SMASH.org in 2003, which provides rigorous STEM education for low-income high school students of color, half girls since inception.  

Freada serves on various boards, including early stage gap-closing tech companies, the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Board of Visitors, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s Transition Team and the National Board of Directors of the NAACP–helping launch NAACP Capital, a $200M fund of funds.

As Co-chair and Director of the Kapor Foundation, she is involved in their research and convenings on Responsible and Ethical AI. 

She has been quoted extensively in the media over many decades including business press (Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune), tech press (TechCrunch, The Information), and national media (NYT, Washington Post, NPR).

Freada and her husband, Mitch Kapor, authored Closing the Equity Gap: Creating Wealth and Fostering Justice in Startup Investing. Her TED talk explores “How to Use Venture Capital for Good.” Freada is a 2025 honoree in Forbes women 50 over 50, focusing on her investing experience.