During her tenure as interim chief executive officer of Reddit in 2015, Ellen Pao enacted a decisive policy change by prohibiting the platform from hosting non-consensual intimate imagery. This administrative shift influenced broader industry standards, as several other major social media organizations subsequently adopted similar prohibitions to manage content and user safety within their digital environments.
Academic and Early Professional Foundation
Born in New Jersey in 1970 to Taiwanese immigrant parents, Pao pursued an extensive academic path that bridged law and commerce. She graduated from Columbia High School in 1987 before earning a Bachelor of Arts from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1991. Her graduate training included a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1994, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1998. Her early career featured roles at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, MSN TV, and BEA Systems.
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In 2005, Pao joined the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as a technical chief of staff. She later served as a junior investing partner. By 2012, she filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the firm, alleging unequal promotion practices and workplace retaliation. The legal conflict continued until a jury reached a verdict in favor of Kleiner Perkins on all counts in March 2015. Throughout the proceedings, the firm maintained that her termination was performance-related.
Leadership at Reddit
Pao joined Reddit in 2013 to lead business development and strategic partnerships. She ascended to the role of interim CEO in November 2014 following the resignation of Yishan Wong. Her executive tenure was characterized by attempts to standardize salary negotiations to mitigate gender-based pay disparities. After removing several communities associated with harassment, she faced significant backlash from parts of the user base. Her resignation followed on July 10, 2015, by mutual agreement with the company.
Advocacy and Writing
Following her corporate exits, Pao co-founded Project Include, a nonprofit dedicated to improving diversity and inclusion practices within technology startups. The organization works with companies employing between 25 and 1,000 staff members, offering human resources guidance and publishing anonymized progress reports. Pao also detailed her professional experiences and perspectives on industry culture in her book, Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change.
Fast facts
- Born: 1970, New Jersey
- Education: Princeton University, Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School
- Reddit CEO tenure: 2014-2015
- Lawsuit: Pao v. Kleiner Perkins
- Nonprofit organization: Project Include
- Book: Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Project Include?
It is a nonprofit diversity consulting organization that assists tech startups with human resources practices and industry transparency.
Why did Pao leave Reddit?
She resigned by mutual agreement in July 2015 following intense public backlash and harassment from users regarding the banning of specific subreddits.
Achievements
- Affiliated with Reddit Inc., Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Flipboard
- Educated at Princeton University and Harvard Law School
