Joshua Spear
Location: USA
Joshua L. Spear is an active entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He is a former chair of the WEF’s Global Agenda Council on Social Media and has actively contributed to the agenda at all global meetings. He has been an active advisor to Millennium Promise, helping to leverage digital technology to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Spear’s personal investments in dozens of companies include groundbreaking successes such as early investments in Uber, Warby Parker, LittleBits, MakeSpace, HipCamp, StyleSeat, Archer Aviation and many, many more.
Spear has completed a number of educational courses, including Executive Education Modules on Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century at the Harvard Kennedy School and Foundations for Leadership in the 21st Century at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale College– – both as part of his involvement with the World Economic Young Global Leader program. He was enrolled at the University of Colorado, Boulder, when he started his first business, one of the first “trend spotting” websites, which eventually led him to expand his business and investment interests instead of pursuing a degree in journalism.
With a passion for the outdoors, Spear began a sponsored competitive climbing career in his late teens and early twenties. In 2016, Spear had an accident while snowboarding in the backcountry. From 2017 to 2019, he remained unplugged and focused solely on his health. At the end of 2019 and again in 2020, he underwent spinal surgery to repair the damage caused by the accident and made a miraculous recovery. Today, he is back at work, grateful for every opportunity and passionate about working with companies large and small to make every step count.
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#550Xs
191Investments
30Exits
20| Number of Portfolio Companies 1 | ||
| Location USA |
Joshua Spear serves as CEO and director of Iron Spark I. Mr. Joshua Spear is an angel investor. He is a founding partner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Undercurrent. He is an advisor at Quirky. At 25 years old, Mr. Joshua Spear is one of the youngest marketing strategists in the world. He is regularly called upon for his fresh perspective and uncompromising style of advising on, generally speaking, all new media. In addition to running JoshSpear.com, his internationally acclaimed blog dedicated to spotting trends, he is a founding partner of Undercurrent, a digital think tank dedicated to exploring new ways to reach young people without getting in their way. Mr. Joshua has been published in Time Magazine, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Flair Italy, Inc. and many other major media outlets. He is also a member of the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum and was recently nominated as a Young Global Leader.
Professional Summary
Visionary entrepreneur and strategic investor with a track record of identifying and supporting transformative technology companies. Recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, with extensive experience in venture capital, technology innovation, and startup ecosystem development. Proven ability to invest in and advise high-growth companies across multiple sectors.
Key Experiences
World Economic Forum
Young Global Leader | February 2009 – Present
- Nominated as a Young Global Leader, contributing to global dialogues on technology and innovation
- Served as Chairman of the Global Agenda Council on Social Media (2010-2012)
- Active participant and speaker at World Economic Forum in Davos
Seed Investor, Uber Technologies
October 2009 – Present
- Participated in earliest financings (Seed and Series A)
- Supported growth of a $100B+ global logistics business
Investor, Warby Parker
January 2013 – Present
- Early-stage investor in direct listing company (WRBY)
Investor and Advisor, Atmo
May 2020 – Present
- Supporting AI-powered meteorology startup
- Focusing on ultra-precise weather forecasting using Deep Learning
Investor, Electric
February 2021 – Present
Notable Investments
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Early-stage and strategic investments in innovative companies across diverse sectors:
- StyleSeat (Information Services, Later Stage VC)
- EpiBone (Healthcare Technology Systems)
- Atlas Obscura (Restaurants, Hotels and Leisure)
- HipCamp (Restaurants, Hotels and Leisure)
- Cover (Application Software)
- Dragon Innovation (Consulting Services)
- Expa (Private Equity)
- MakeSpace (Logistics)
- Mouth (Food Products, Early Stage VC)
- Hullabalu (Entertainment Software, Seed Round)
Advisory Roles
- Investor and Advisor, Atmo (AI-powered meteorology)
- Investor and Advisor, Voyager Space Holdings
- Founding Investor, Lowercase Capital
Nonprofit Involvement
- Board of Advisors, Association on American Indian Affairs (2020-Present)
- Board of Trustees, Smithsonian National Museum of the North American Indian (2021-2023)
Additional Professional Experience
- Co-Founder and Chairman, Undercurrent (2007-2015)
- Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, joshspear.com (2003-2015)
Areas of Expertise
- Venture Capital
- Technology Investment
- Startup Ecosystem
- Digital Innovation
- Social Media Strategy
- Nonprofit Governance
Education and Recognition
- World Economic Forum Young Global Leader
- Global Agenda Council Member (Social Media, Marketing, and Branding)
Professional Network
– LinkedIn Connections: 500+
– Professional Followers: 1, 933
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