Early Life
Trae Stephens was born in November 1983 in Ohio. He was inspired to pursue a career in national security after the September 11 attacks, which occurred when he was a senior in high school. Stephens attended Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, focusing on Arabic and Security Studies. He earned a degree in Regional and Comparative Studies (Middle East) in 2005. During his college years, he gained experience in government and international affairs, interning in the office of Republican Congressman Rob Portman and at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C.
Rise to Success
After graduating from Georgetown, Stephens began his career as a computational linguist within the U.S. Intelligence Community. In 2008, he joined Palantir Technologies as an early employee. At Palantir, he led teams focused on expanding the company's business in the defense and intelligence sectors, as well as international growth. In 2014, Stephens became a partner at Founders Fund, where he focused on investments in startups in the government and defense technology sectors. He co-founded Anduril Industries in 2017 with Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR, and other former Palantir colleagues.
Key Business Strategies
As the executive chairman of Anduril, Stephens has focused on applying Silicon Valley's rapid iteration and software-first strategies to defense technology. Anduril has secured significant contracts with the Department of Defense and allied nations. Stephens is also involved in Sol, a startup making eyeglasses with Kindle-style lenses for "immersive reading". He is also a co-founder of Varda Space Industries.
Philanthropy
Information on Trae Stephens's specific philanthropic contributions could not be found through search. However, his wife, Michelle Stephens, founded a Christian nonprofit called ACTS17, which ministers to elites.
