Esther Wojcicki
Renowned Educator, Investor · "Godmother of Silicon Valley"
Key facts
- Legendary long-time educator at Palo Alto High School; mentored future leaders in technology and business, including Lisa Brennan-Jobs (Steve Jobs' daughter) and Ben Hewlett (grandson of HP co-founder Bill Hewlett).
- Creator of the signature TRICK philosophy (Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, Kindness), a pedagogical framework designed to foster autonomy and self-reliance in young people.
- Wife of the late Polish-American physicist Prof. Stanisław "Stanley" Wojcicki (former Chair of the Physics Department at Stanford University) and mother to three accomplished daughters: Susan (former CEO of YouTube), Anne (co-founder of 23andMe), and Janet (Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at UCSF).
- Witnessed the birth of Google firsthand – the company was famously founded in her daughter Susan's garage, and her daughter Anne was married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin for many years.
- Active startup investor and advisor well past her 80s (focusing on AI and HealthTech); a vocal advocate for integrating AI into modern education rather than banning smartphones or emerging technology in schools.
Biography
Esther Wojcicki is an American educator, journalist, author, and investor widely known as the "Godmother of Silicon Valley." Over several decades in Palo Alto, she pioneered student-led media programs that nurtured generations of tech leaders. Together with her husband, Prof. Stanisław Wojcicki, she built one of the most influential family legacies in Silicon Valley history. She is the subject of a documentary film directed by Maciej Kawecki and Łukasz Bernaś.