Barry Schuler is the co-founder and managing partner of DFJ Growth, a leading venture capital firm investing in transformative technology companies. With a career spanning more than four decades, Schuler has been an entrepreneur, technology executive, investor and advocate for educational innovation.
Prior to co-founding DFJ Growth in 2006, Schuler served as chairman and CEO of America Online, where he helped lead one of the pioneering companies of the internet era. His career has encompassed the evolution of personal computing, the internet, digital media and artificial intelligence, giving him a distinctive perspective on how technological disruption reshapes industries, institutions and society.
At DFJ Growth, Schuler has backed innovative companies across AI, space, life sciences, robotics and other emerging technologies. The firm’s investments include companies such as SpaceX, Tesla, Coinbase and Anduril. He has been recognized multiple times on the Forbes Midas List of leading technology investors and serves on the boards of several technology companies, including Unity Technologies.
Beyond his business career, Schuler has been deeply committed to reimagining education. He co-founded New Tech Network, a national nonprofit organization that has helped bring project-based learning and innovative teaching practices to schools across the United States. He also co-founded Blue Oak School, an independent progressive K-8 school in Napa, California.
Schuler is a longtime writer and commentator on technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and education, with published work appearing in Inc. magazine and Medium. He is a member of Rutgers University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
His interests include the societal implications of emerging technologies, the importance of independent institutions and the role of rigorous journalism in fostering transparency, public trust and accountability.