Alumni Achiever – Arun Mathew, Brentwood High Class of 2003

Published September 11, 2015

Arun Mathew currently works for Accel Partners where he focuses on investments in enterprise software, digital media and consumer internet companies.

A 2003 graduate of Brentwood High, Arun attended the University of Pennsylvania where he studied both finance and engineering before earning his MBA at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Earlier this year, Arun was named one of Forbes’ 2015 30 Under 30 in the venture capital arena.

How long have you worked for Accel and what are some of your job responsibilities?

I’ve worked for Accel since May 2009. My primary job is to identify and invest in the most innovative technology companies in the world. As a firm, we’ve led investments in companies like Facebook, Dropbox, Slack, DJI, Spotify, Kayak, Supercell (Clash of Clans), Etsy, Squarespace, Flipkart and many more companies. Once we invest, I work with these companies to grow and successfully scale.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the intellectual diversity of my job. We meet with the most interesting technology companies across a variety of industries. As Marc Andreesen penned in a NYTimes article a couple years ago, software is eating the world. From healthcare to manufacturing, technology is disrupting every industry. It’s exciting to be a part of that ecosystem.

What did you enjoy most about your high school experience?

Mostly, I enjoyed the people, both classmates and teachers. It was fun going to an academically challenging school, but also one that exhibited a broad, diverse student base.

What WCS teacher made a difference in your life and how?

Many of my teachers were wonderful, but Ms. Harriet Medlin at BHS was the probably the most impactful. My experience in speech and debate allowed me to develop much of the social interaction/sales skills that I still use extensively in my job today.

Do you have any advice for current WCS students?

I would advise current WCS students to not be content with the status quo. Much of the change we’re seeing in the world today, particularly in the technology ecosystem, is being driven by the “Under 30” crowd. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, particularly if you identify a real problem and have a creative solution.