Ann Winblad (American Venture Capitalist) Biography

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Full name	Ann L Winblad

BA in Mathematics and Business Administration	St. Catherine University, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US (1973)
MA Education in Economics	University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US (1973-1975)
Honorary Doctorate of Law	University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US

Ethnicity	Swedish descent
Hobbies	Traveling Biking Fly Fishing

Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Boyfriends	High school boyfriend Bill Gates (1984-87) Alex Kline (San Francisco-based private investigator)
Marriage Date	16/12/2015
Spouse	Alex Kline

Father

Wilbur Winblad (dedicated educator and coach)

Mother

Elizabeth Stark (Nurse)

Siblings

Brother (younger)	Dave Winblad
Sister(s) (younger)	Mary Regenscheid Susan Shields Patty Jorgenson Kathy Winblad-Polk

Spouse

Alex Kline

Awards & Achievements	1998: Ranked 24th in Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business 1998: Ranked 22nd in Time's Cyber Elite 50 1999: Ranked 64th in Upside Elite 100 list 2000: Inducted into the Fortune Small Business Hall of Fame 2013: Innovation Catalyst Award 2017: Exemplary Women honoree at 4th Annual Global Women in STEM Conference (WiSTEM) SVForum Visionary Award 1997: John F. Cade Award for outstanding entrepreneurship 2007: Financial Woman of the Year by the San Francisco Financial Women’s Association 2024: Inducted into the Bay Area Business Hall of Fame 2025: Named to the National Venture Capital Association Venture Vanguard
Career Milestones	1973: Systems programmer at the Federal Reserve Bank 1976: Co-founded Open Systems, Inc. 1983: Open Systems, Inc. sold for $15 million 1984: Tech consultant for IBM and Microsoft, invested in Microsoft 1989: Co-founded Hummer Winblad Venture Partners Served as Director for companies including MuleSoft, Hyperion, Sonatype, The Knot, Liquid Audio, Net Perceptions, and Ace Metrix

Awards & Achievements

1998: Ranked 24th in Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business
1998: Ranked 22nd in Time's Cyber Elite 50
1999: Ranked 64th in Upside Elite 100 list
2000: Inducted into the Fortune Small Business Hall of Fame
2013: Innovation Catalyst Award
2017: Exemplary Women honoree at 4th Annual Global Women in STEM Conference (WiSTEM)
SVForum Visionary Award
1997: John F. Cade Award for outstanding entrepreneurship
2007: Financial Woman of the Year by the San Francisco Financial Women’s Association
2024: Inducted into the Bay Area Business Hall of Fame
2025: Named to the National Venture Capital Association Venture Vanguard

Career Milestones

1973: Systems programmer at the Federal Reserve Bank
1976: Co-founded Open Systems, Inc.
1983: Open Systems, Inc. sold for $15 million
1984: Tech consultant for IBM and Microsoft, invested in Microsoft
1989: Co-founded Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
Served as Director for companies including MuleSoft, Hyperion, Sonatype, The Knot, Liquid Audio, Net Perceptions, and Ace Metrix

1. Raised in Rushford and Farmington, Minnesota.
2. Commenced working at the age of seven by picking strawberries.
3. Was a cheerleader and valedictorian in high school.
4. Managed three jobs during college.
5. Established Open Systems, Inc. in 1976.
6. Co-founded Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in 1989 alongside John Hummer.
7. Co-authored a book called 'Object-Oriented Software' in 1990.