Erik Anderson

Executive Chairman, Singularity University; Founder & CEO, West River Group; Executive Chairman of Top Golf Entertainment Group

Erik Anderson is a leader in global innovation. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WestRiver Group (WRG) since 2002. WRG is a collaboration of leading investment firms providing integrated capital solutions to the global innovation economy. In 2018, Anderson became Executive Chairman of Singularity University, a global community using exponential technologies to tackle the world's biggest challenges. Anderson is also the Executive Chairman of Topgolf Entertainment Group, a global sports entertainment company. In this role, he has received numerous honors, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2018 and 2017 he was honored by Goldman Sachs as one of their Top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs. In 2018 he was ranked by Golf Inc. as the No. 3 most powerful person in the golf industry after being ranked No. 8 the previous year. In 2018, he was also one of 10 CEOs in America to receive the 2018 Transformative CEO Award from The CEO Forum Group. Anderson is Vice-Chairman of ONEHOPE, a cause-centric consumer brand and technology company, most commonly known for their award-winning wine and world-class vineyard in Napa, Calif. Additionally, Anderson is the founder of America's Foundation for Chess, currently serving 160,000 children in the United States with its First Move curriculum. He serves on the Board of Play Magnus, an interactive chess app inspired by Magnus Carlsen, the reigning World Chess Champion. In 2019, he became a Board member of Pro.com, a leader in the home improvement experience industry. His investment experience includes being Partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners, CEO of Matthew G Norton Co. and Vice President at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Anderson was recognized early in his career as one of the top “40 under 40” young achievers and emerging leaders by Seattle's Puget Sound Business Journal. He holds a master's and bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree (Cum Laude) in Management Engineering from Claremont McKenna College. Anderson lives in Kirkland, Wash., with his family, including his wife Deborah and children Natalie, Claire and Trevor.