Ann Winblad is the co-founding Partner of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners. She is a well-known and respected software industry entrepreneur and technology leader. Her background and years of experience in the software industry have been chronicled in many national and international business publications.

Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, founded in 1989, was the first venture firm focused exclusively on software. In her over 30-year career as a venture capitalist, Ann’s firm has launched over 200 enterprise software companies and led investments that pioneered successful companies across the enterprise software sector: Business Intelligence, Analytics, Software Development, Integration, Data Center Optimization, Cloud Computing and Security. Currently Ann serves as Partner Emeritus and advisor to Aspenwood Ventures, the next generation of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners.

Ann began her career as a systems programmer at the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis. In 1976 Ann, with three co-workers from the Federal Reserve Bank, founded Open Systems, Inc., a top selling accounting software company. Open Systems became the 27th largest software company in the United States when it was acquired in 1983. After the acquisition of Open Systems by UCCEL (a NYSE company), Ann served as a strategy consultant for clients including IBM, Microsoft, Price Waterhouse, and numerous start-ups. In addition, Ann has co-authored the book Object-Oriented Software and has written articles for numerous publications.

Ann received a B.A. in Mathematics and in Business Administration from the St. Catherine University (1973), as well as an M.A. in Education focused in International Economics from the University of St. Thomas (1975). Ann also has an honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of St. Thomas.

Ann’s recognitions have included being named an inaugural member of Fortune’s Small Business Hall of Fame (2000), awarded the Financial Woman of the Year by the San Francisco Financial Women’s Association (2007), received Annual Women in Stem, Phenomenal Trail Blazer of Our Times award (2017), inducted into the Bay Area Business Hall of Fame (2024), and named to the National Venture Capital Association Venture Vanguard (2025).

Ann has served as a Director of numerous start-up and public companies including Hyperion, Mulesoft, The Knot, Net Perceptions, Liquid Audio, Sonatype, and Ace Metrix. She is a currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of St. Thomas (elected 1998), a Board member of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and on the Investment Committee of London-based Seraphim Capital a leading global space technology investor.