BIOGRAPHY

John Chambers is the founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures. In his role, Chambers focuses on helping disruptive startups from around the world build and scale, while also promoting the broader development of startup nations and a startup world. 

He invests in companies across categories and geographies that are leading market transitions, such as Arcee AI, ASAPP, Avathon, Clockwork, Nile, ParkourSC, PeopleReign, Pindrop, Privoro, Quantum Metric, Reps, SAFE Security, Together AI, Uniphore, and Visionary Group. Chambers has also invested in companies that have gone public including, Bloom Energy, Rubrik, and Sprinklr, and marked key acquisitions in the industry, such as Balbix, Dedrone, Lilac Cloud, OpenGov, Pensando, and Denim. Out of 26 investments, JC2 Ventures has generated 12 unicorns and 2 decacorn.  

In addition to investing in and mentoring startups, Chambers is focused on promoting entrepreneurship, gender equality, and accelerating overall new business creation around the world, as he believes that startups will be the core driver of economic growth and job creation in the AI/Digital Age. Chambers is the Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). He was also appointed Global Ambassador of the French Tech by President Emmanuel Macron of France. He works closely with businesses and government leaders in France, India, and the U.S. to create meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens.  

Prior to founding JC2 Ventures in January 2018, Chambers served as CEO, Chairman, and Executive Chairman at Cisco Systems. During his 25+ years at Cisco, he helped grow the company from 400 employees and $70 million when he joined in 1991, to 75,000 employees and $47 billion when he stepped down as CEO in 2015. He was a pioneer in using acquisitions to drive innovation, in addition to internal development, completing a total of 180 acquisitions during his tenure. Chambers also spearheaded the creation of company and country digitization programs going back 15 years.  

Over the last eight years, Chambers has focused on the next major technology transition – AI. Similar to the call he made in the 90s with the Internet, long before most people knew what it was, to change the way we work, live, learn, and play, Chambers believes AI will also change the way we work, live, learn, and play, but at 5x the speed and 3x the impact of the Internet.   

With countless lessons learned during his tenure at Cisco, as well as from his experiences working with startups, Chambers wrote Connecting the Dots: Lessons for Leadership in a Startup World, sharing the management, leadership, and business principles that brought him and his teams unmatched success for decades. Connecting the Dots unleashes new rules for disruption and lasting success in the Digital Age that gives readers a playbook on how to act before the market shifts, use customers to drive strategy, partner for growth, build teams, manage through crisis, and disrupt themselves before somebody else disrupts them. 

​Chambers has received numerous awards for his leadership, including being named “CEO of the Year” by Chief Executive Magazine and number two “Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review, and receiving the Edison Achievement Award for Innovation. Chambers was also awarded the Outstanding Civil Service Medal by the U.S. Army, as well as France's National Defense Gold Medal, the only foreign business leader to ever receive the award in its 35-year history at this point in time. Chambers was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards recognized by the Government of India, for his contributions to society, economic growth, and the benefit to the citizens of India. 

Chambers was also named one of Barron’s’ “World’s Best CEOs,” Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People,” the “Best Boss in America” by 20/20, one of BusinessWeek’s “Top 25 Executives Worldwide,” the Business Council’s “Award for Corporate Leadership,” “Best Investor Relations by a CEO” from Investor Relations Magazine three times, and the 2012 Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute.  

Chambers has worked closely with government leaders around the world, including nine U.S. Secretaries of State. Chambers also served two American presidents during his career. He was Vice Chairman of President George W. Bush’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), where he provided industry experience and leadership to help protect critical U.S. infrastructure. He also served on President George W. Bush's Transition Team and Education Committee, and on President Bill Clinton's Trade Policy Committee.  

He has been widely recognized for his philanthropic leadership, including receiving the U.S. State Department’s top corporate social responsibility award (ACE) twice, from both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2010 and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2005. He also received the first-ever Clinton Global Citizen Award from former U.S. President Bill Clinton and has been awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship and the prestigious Excellence in Corporate Philanthropy Award, an award given by CEOs to their CEO peers.  

Chambers is a champion of network academies, which focus on providing the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow and beyond. He also takes an active role in corporate social responsibility initiatives worldwide and has received several awards for his contributions. His partnerships have included working with Connecting Sichuan, an effort to help rebuild healthcare and education models affected by the May 2008 earthquake.  

Prior to 1991, Chambers spent eight years at Wang Laboratories (1982–1990) and six years with IBM (1976–1982). He studied electrical engineering for two years at Duke University before transferring to West Virginia University. Chambers holds a bachelor of science/bachelor of arts degree in business and a law degree from West Virginia University, as well as a master of business administration degree in finance and management from Indiana University.  

Chambers resides in California with his wife of more than 40 years. He enjoys fishing, swimming, and spending time with his two children, as well as his two grandchildren.