United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation elects Geoff Yang as new chair

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation today announced the election of Geoff Yang as chair of the USOPF Board of Directors. Yang was formally endorsed by the USOPF Board after the recommendation of his nomination by the USOPF Nominating and Governance Committee and Executive Committees.

Yang’s appointment was confirmed by a vote of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Board at its quarterly meeting today.

“On behalf of the USOPC Board of Directors, I want to thank Geoff for his leadership and dedication to Team USA,” said Gene Sykes, USOPC chair. “Geoff has established himself as one of the foremost philanthropic leaders in the Olympic and Paralympic movements, and I know he will continue to advance the vision of the USOPF as chair.”

The foundation was established in 2013 as a 501(c)(3) to serve as the philanthropic arm of the USOPC. By raising funds for U.S. Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls, who do not receive federal funding, the USOPF empowers them on their journey to the Olympic and Paralympic Games while engaging and inspiring Americans through philanthropy. One hundred percent of dollars raised by the USOPF support Team USA athletes and programs that help them achieve their dreams.

Yang has been a supporter of Team USA since before the foundation’s inception, serving as a director until 2022 and as vice chair from 2017 to 2022. In 2015, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Technology & Innovation Fund, a program that supports performance-impacting projects that help U.S. Olympians and Paralympians gain a competitive edge.

He currently serves as co-chair of the Technology & Innovation Fund Advisory Committee, which utilizes the brightest ideas in technology and engineering to the benefit of Team USA’s sports and athletes.

“Geoff’s passion for the Olympic and Paralympic movements and his vision for the future will make him an excellent chair,” said Mike Carter, interim chair of the USOPF. “It has been my honor to serve as interim chair, and I look forward to working with Geoff to uplift Team USA athletes and serve the USOPF community.”

When Yang’s term begins, he will become just the second permanent chair in foundation history. Gordy Crawford, the USOPF’s inaugural chair, served for nearly a decade from 2013 to 2022.

Yang has served as a founding partner and managing director of Redpoint Ventures, a California-based global private equity and venture capital firm, since 1999. He also serves as CEO and founder of Apeiron Life. He has over 35 years of experience in the venture capital industry and has helped found or served on the boards of a variety of consumer media, internet and infrastructure companies. Yang currently serves on the boards of directors of Franklin Templeton, Liberty Media Acquisition Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery as well as private companies Esquel Group, Performance Health Sciences, Rock the Bells, Scribd and Tastemade and previously served as a director of AT&T.

“We are thrilled that Geoff will be serving as chair at this critical juncture in the foundation’s history,” said Christine Walshe, USOPF president. “His strategic leadership will help us engage and inspire more Americans than ever before to support our athletes.”

To learn more about the foundation and to support Team USA athletes, please visit give.teamusa.org.