Chris Kelly
- Angel Tech Investor
- NBA Team Owner
- Employee 25 at Facebook
- Privacy and Security Expert
- Intellectual Property Lawyer
Travels From
California
Chris Kelly Speaker Biography
CHRIS KELLY is a Silicon Valley investor with a long track record of building innovative companies and making the Internet a safer place for kids and adults alike. As the first Chief Privacy Officer, General Counsel, and Head of Global Public Policy for Facebook, Chris helped the company grow from its college roots to the ubiquitous communications medium that it is today. Chris’ development of the site’s safety and security policies around real-world identity and deployment of a highly-trained staff for rule and law enforcement are credited as critical elements in the company’s success.
Chris left Facebook in 2009 to seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of California, garnering 16 percent of the vote in a seven-way race, his first run for statewide office. Since the June 2010 primary, he has become an active investor in companies seeking transformational improvements in technology, media, and finance. Currently, he serves as Chairman of Fandor, a San Francisco-based streaming media company focused on independent film and visual expression, and Chairman of MoviePass, a subscription-based movie ticketing service with headquarters in New York City.
In 2013, Chris joined a group of California investors who purchased the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. As a member of the group’s executive board, Chris contributes his expertise in technology and management to basketball operations and the Golden1 Center, the team’s new state of the art arena that opened in 2016. The arena was recently named Best Elite Sports Facility in the world by the Sports Technology Awards, an annual recognition voted on by thought leaders in global technology and sports.
As an attorney in private practice before his time at Facebook, Chris represented Netscape in the Microsoft antitrust case and Diamond Multimedia in the groundbreaking suit over the MP3 player that furthered personal use rights over digital content. Chris received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, a master’s degree from Yale University, and his law degree from Harvard University. Chris also serves on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco 49ers Academy, an alternative public middle school in East Palo Alto, and as Chair of the New Leaders Council, a nationwide leadership training program for young progressives.
Privacy, Security, and Safety in a Social Media World
In his talk, Chris Kelly—IP lawyer and former Chief Privacy Officer for Facebook talks about his experience in developing online privacy and identity. During his time at Facebook, Kelly worked with the Attorneys General of all 50 states to develop new safety and privacy rules known as the “Key Principles Of Social Networking Safety,” which provided safeguards for online privacy. At the same time, these safeguards took away user anonymity. He will discuss the delicate balance of safeguarding personal privacy and protecting users from predators by requiring users to have a verified online identity, and what the future holds for both.
The Facebook Story
In 2005, Sean Parker introduced Chris Kelly to Facebook, where Kelly became Employee 25. Ten years older than most employees, Kelly provided a steady senior executive presence to this fledgling startup as Chief Privacy Officer and General Counsel. Kelly gives insight into what it takes to make the leap from small startup to a giant corporation, the problems and challenges of intergenerational teams, and the secrets for a successful transition to superstar status.
Inside Silicon Valley: Finding Innovators
From a kid who grew up in the valley, to become a major tech investor and entrepreneur. Chris Kelly provides an inside look at how to succeed in Silicon Valley, having worked with (or against) the biggest names in the business, such as Netscape, Microsoft, and Facebook. As an insider in many startups, pre, and post-Facebook, he shares some of the keys to entrepreneurial success and why some ideas succeed while others fail.
The Future of Technology and our Digital World
As a kid growing up in Silicon Valley, Chris Kelly knows first hand how technology has changed the world. Now as an angel investor, Kelly has an inside view of where technology is heading. What are the newest ideas and how are innovators planning to change the world? Based on his own experience and research, Kelly paints a picture of the future of technology and our digital world.
