Skip to main content
The homepageVoxVox logo
The homepageVoxVox logo

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Former Amex CEO Ken Chenault has yet another new gig, this one at General Catalyst

He’ll be one of the highest-profile black venture capitalists.

by Theodore Schleifer
Venture capitalist Ken Chenault
Venture capitalist Ken Chenault
Lacy O’Toole / CNBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Ken Chenault is everywhere in Silicon Valley.

In the last month, the longtime American Express CEO has been announced as the new board member at two of the region’s biggest companies, Facebook and Airbnb. Now he’s joining as the sole chairman of the venture capital firm General Catalyst.

“Without a doubt, he is one of the most accomplished, respected, and well-liked CEOs in the Fortune 100,” the firm said in a blog post announcing his hire. “It may be obvious, but to us, that last bit is the most important part.”

Chenault will bring much-needed diversity to the venture capital industry — only 2 percent of venture capitalists are black, according to the National Venture Capital Association.

“GC is not just a top VC firm with powerful personalities,” Chenault said in a statement. “They are in it to win for all the right reasons.”

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

See More:

Most Popular

  1. Donald Trump messed with the wrong pope
  2. Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword
  3. The Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything else
  4. The Air Quality Index and how to use it, explained
  5. What trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workout

More in Technology

Technology
The case for AI realismThe case for AI realism
Technology

AI isn’t going to be the end of the world — no matter what this documentary sometimes argues.

By Shayna Korol
Politics
OpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agendaOpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agenda
Politics

The AI company released a set of highly progressive policy ideas. There’s just one small problem.

By Eric Levitz
Future Perfect
Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
Future Perfect

Protecting astronauts in space — and maybe even Mars — will help transform health on Earth.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
The importance of space toilets, explainedThe importance of space toilets, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Houston, we have a plumbing problem.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Technology
What happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputerWhat happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputer
Technology

How they’re using AI at the lab that created the atom bomb.

By Joshua Keating
Future Perfect
Humanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious missionHumanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious mission
Future Perfect

Space barons like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk don’t seem religious. But their quest to colonize outer space is.

By Sigal Samuel