Designer of solutions to issues of global poverty with a focus on viability and true impact
Stuart Coulson is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University’s Institute of Design (the d.school) and a Lecturer at the Graduate School of Business, where he leads Design for Extreme Affordability. In this intensive, project-based program, multi-disciplinary student teams design products and services to tackle poverty in low resource settings. Projects and startups emerging from the program have affected the lives of more than 170 million people so far.
Stuart is an investor in and advisor to early stage technology and social impact organizations in Silicon Valley and his native Ireland. He is a member of Trinity College Dublin’s Provost’s Council, and is a founding member of Trinity Angels and the LaunchBox student startup incubator program. He also grows old-vine Zinfandel grapes in California’s Russian River Valley and enjoys regularly quality testing the resulting award-winning wines.
Stuart’s background is in software development, data communications and travel reservations systems. His previous roles include senior leadership in some of the world’s largest travel technology companies and several startups. He co-founded Gradient Solutions, a pioneer in web-based travel e-commerce, acquired by Sabre.
Stuart holds a BA (Mod.) in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin, an MBA from the University of Geneva and an EMBA from the Tepper Business School, Carnegie Mellon University.