Good morning! As we look to the future, Qiming Venture Partners is preparing for a change at the helm, Bluesky’s CEO touts the platform’s unique resilience, and Susan Wojcicki leaves us with a heartfelt final message.
In a poignant letter posted on YouTube’s blog, former CEO Susan Wojcicki, just months after losing her battle with lung cancer at 56, shared what she learned about the disease. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and it was important to her to highlight that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in women and is the second most common. She expressed frustration over the lack of funding compared to other cancers and dedicated her resources to fight for better research and treatments.
Reflecting on her personal journey, Wojcicki detailed how she discovered her diagnosis at the end of 2022. Remarkably, she had no significant symptoms and was quite active, running several miles daily. As a nonsmoker, the news was a complete shock. Deciding swiftly, she stepped down from her role at YouTube to focus on her health, family, and cancer research, contributing millions to the cause while continuing her work with boards like Salesforce, Planet Labs, and Waymo.
She closed her letter with a powerful message: “Living with cancer is challenging, and it has profoundly changed me. The most crucial lesson I’ve absorbed is to savor the present moment. Life’s unpredictability is a shared experience, but taking in the everyday beauty is rewarding. Looking ahead, I’m committed to relishing life now and working towards a deeper understanding and better solutions for this illness.”
You can read her full statement here.
Today’s notable updates also include:
– Billionaire-proof: According to Bluesky’s CEO Jay Graber, their platform’s open-source design makes it resilient to billionaire takeovers. Even if the company were to collapse or be bought out, users could seamlessly migrate their followings elsewhere. The platform has surged in popularity since the election, boasting over 21 million users now.
– Owning the game: Basketball star Caitlin Clark has joined the effort to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Cincinnati. Other cities like Cleveland, Denver, Nashville, and Philadelphia are also in the running to secure an NWSL team for 2026.
– Leadership shifts: At Qiming Venture Partners, changes are underway as they anticipate raising between $800 million and $1 billion for a new fund in 2025. This includes managing partner Nisa Leung stepping aside for the next generation of leaders to guide the firm.
– Strategic focus: Following recent elections, abortion rights organizations are shifting from initiatives to prioritizing defense of existing laws and battling new restrictions, using every avenue available, from courts to legislative bodies.
Leadership Moves:
– At WSP, Angela Schwarz is stepping up as the transit and rail market leader, joined by Evans Benson as the deputy leader. Both held senior VP roles previously.
– PR firm FerenComm has promoted Krista Zoch and Emily Hunter to senior VP positions. They were formerly VPs at the company.
– At Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, Hilkka Komulainen is now the global head of sustainability, succeeding Anne Foster, alongside Cathy Jones as the new chief people officer.
– Instabase welcomes Junie Dinda as CMO, transitioning from her role as chief marketing and operating officer at Secure Code Warrior.
– Ironclad’s new general counsel is Jasmine Singh, who comes from a legal leadership role at Binti.
– Dana Goldstein now heads investor relations and marketing at Transom Capital Group, after serving at Anthos Capital.
– Newly joining Flywire’s board of directors is Carleigh Jaques, who recently led global risk and identity solutions at Visa.
What’s catching our attention:
– The Axios piece on Pam Bondi, potential pick for Trump’s second Attorney General.
– Reuters’ exploration of the troubling OnlyFans accounts involving isolation and exploitation.
– A glimpse into the routines of SoulCycle’s CEO, including a habit of indulging in Popeyes.
Closing thought: “Aging is a privilege, and that perspective sees us as the crown jewels of society,” says Halle Berry, reminding us to embrace the aging process.
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