winarskyventures.com
Building the Ventures That Change the World
Co-founder of Siri. Founder of 70+ ventures.
Author. Advisor. Lecturer at Stanford.
Siri (acquired by Apple)
SRI International
Stanford GSB
Relay Ventures
Emmy Award Winner
New York Times
Introduction
Veteran of Silicon Valley's Most Transformative Ventures
Norman Winarsky has spent four decades at the forefront of technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation. As co-founder of Siri and past President of SRI Ventures, he has been the driving force behind more than 70 companies spanning artificial intelligence, natural language processing, computer vision, and beyond.
Today, Norman advises venture groups, serves on boards, consults with companies, and invests in the next generation of breakthrough founders — bringing the same rigor and vision that transformed a research project into the technology on every iPhone in the world.
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What I Do
01
Venture Advising
Advising venture groups and innovation labs on identifying, developing, and scaling breakthrough opportunities with the process refined over decades at SRI.
02
Board Membership
Pattern recognition, strategic perspective, and a strong network applied to every board seat — built across more than 70 companies.
03
Consulting
Helping companies navigate disruptive technology — from AI strategy and product development to partnership structures and licensing.
04
Angel Investing
Investing in early-stage companies in artificial intelligence, natural language, and computer vision — where the expertise and network run deepest.
If You Really Want to Change the World
Norman Winarsky
with Henry Kressel
The Book
If You Really Want to Change the World
A Guide to Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures — Norman's essential playbook for founders and innovators.
Learn More →
SRI & Siri
Norman Winarsky began his career at SRI International, one of the world's premier research and development organizations. As President of SRI Ventures, he was responsible for creating SRI's highest-value commercial ventures and license opportunities — and for building the institutional process that made that possible.
That process — which included venture incubation, seed funding, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, and the nVention venture forum — became a model for how research institutions can systematically create world-class companies.
Among the ventures Norman helped create was Siri, the conversational AI assistant that was spun out of SRI in January 2008 and acquired by Apple in 2010. Siri now reaches billions of people through every Apple device on the planet. Norman served as co-founder and board member.
Author & Educator
Norman is the author of "If You Really Want to Change the World: A Guide to Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures," a practical and inspiring guide for founders, investors, and innovators. The book distills the lessons of a career spent building transformative technology companies.
He is a Lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he shares those lessons with the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Current Work
Today, Norman is Partner at Relay Ventures, Advisor to Health2047, and a sought-after consultant and board member for companies working at the frontier of artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and computer vision. He has helped found more than 70 ventures over the course of his career.
His work has been covered by The New York Times, and he continues to be one of Silicon Valley's most respected voices on venture creation and disruptive technology.
Recognition & Credentials
- Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Technological Advancement (2000)
- RCA Sarnoff Award — RCA's highest honor
- National Science Foundation Fellow
- Invited member of the mathematics department, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
- Visiting Scholar, Stanford University
- Chairman, University of Chicago Visiting Committee for the Physical Sciences
- Member, National Academy Committee on Forecasting Future Disruptive Technologies
- Assistant Professor of Mathematics, SUNY Albany
Education
B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mathematics, University of Chicago
Graduated Summa Cum Laude · Phi Beta Kappa · Paul J. Cohen Award for Outstanding Student in Mathematics
What I Do
Decades of Experience. Immediately Applicable.
Norman Winarsky works with a select group of companies, venture funds, and founders each year. If you're building something that could change the world, here's how he can help.
Norman advises venture groups, innovation labs, and research institutions on how to systematically identify, develop, and commercialize breakthrough opportunities. He brings the same structured process he built at SRI Ventures — one that produced Siri and dozens of other significant companies.
What This Looks Like
- Evaluating venture pipelines and identifying highest-potential opportunities
- Structuring incubation processes and funding frameworks
- Connecting organizations with experienced entrepreneurs and investors
- Ongoing advisory relationships and working sessions
Norman brings decades of experience across more than 70 companies to every board seat he holds. He is a strategic partner and honest voice for CEOs navigating growth, pivots, fundraising, and partnerships.
What He Brings
- Pattern recognition across hundreds of technology ventures
- Deep networks in venture capital, technology, and academia
- Direct experience with Apple, SRI, Stanford, and leading VC firms
- Honest, experienced counsel on strategy, hiring, and fundraising
Norman consults with companies on strategy, AI and technology direction, partnership development, and licensing. He works best with leadership teams that are navigating inflection points — new markets, new technologies, or new competitive threats.
Engagement Types
- Strategic reviews and technology assessments
- AI and NLP strategy for product and business development
- Partnership and licensing framework development
- Executive advising and leadership coaching
Norman invests in early-stage companies in artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and computer vision. He brings not just capital, but deep technical knowledge, industry connections, and a proven track record of helping companies grow.
What Founders Get
- Smart capital with genuine technical expertise
- Introductions to top-tier VCs, including Relay Ventures
- Hands-on involvement in product and company strategy
- A co-founder of Siri in your corner
Interested?
Interested in Working Together?
Norman works with a small number of companies and organizations at a time. If you think there might be a fit, reach out.
Get in Touch →
A Guide for Founders
If You Really Want to Change the World
Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures
Norman Winarsky
with Henry Kressel
The Book
If You Really Want to Change the World
A Guide to Creating, Building, and Sustaining Breakthrough Ventures
Norman Winarsky with Henry Kressel
What does it actually take to build a company that changes the world? Not a modest improvement, not a feature — a genuine breakthrough.
In this essential guide, Norman Winarsky draws on his experience co-founding Siri, running SRI Ventures, and helping build more than 70 companies to answer that question with clarity and precision. The book offers a rigorous framework for identifying transformative ideas, assembling the right team, securing funding, and navigating the inevitable crises that come with building something truly new.
Required reading for founders, investors, and anyone who wants to understand how breakthrough innovation actually happens.
Key Themes
- How to identify a genuinely disruptive idea — and tell it apart from incremental improvements
- The critical early decisions that determine whether a venture survives
- How to build and lead teams around transformative technology
- The role of institutions, research, and intellectual property in venture creation
- Lessons from Siri, SRI, and 70+ other ventures
About the Author
Norman Winarsky is co-founder of Siri, past President of SRI Ventures, Partner at Relay Ventures, and Lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has helped found more than 70 ventures over his career.
Speaking
A Rare Voice on Innovation, AI, and Breakthrough Ventures
Norman Winarsky brings a unique combination to any stage: the credibility of someone who co-founded Siri, the rigor of a Stanford lecturer, and the storytelling of an author who has spent decades at the frontier of technology. His talks are engaging, evidence-based, and immediately applicable.
Norman speaks at conferences, corporate events, university programs, and executive gatherings. He is available for keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats, and workshops.
Topic 01
The Future of AI: What's Real, What's Hype, and What's Next
Drawing on his experience co-founding Siri and advising AI companies, Norman helps audiences understand where the technology is genuinely transformative — and where the promise exceeds reality.
Topic 02
How Breakthrough Ventures Are Built
Based on his book and four decades of experience, Norman walks through the anatomy of a breakthrough venture: how to spot a truly disruptive idea, build the team, secure funding, and survive inevitable crises.
Topic 03
From Research to Reality: The SRI and Siri Story
The inside story of how Siri went from a research project to the technology on billions of Apple devices — and the lessons that experience holds for anyone building at the frontier of technology.
Topic 04
Venture Creation at Research Institutions
The framework Norman built at SRI for systematically identifying and commercializing breakthrough research — directly applicable to universities, corporate R&D labs, and national research organizations.
Past Speaking Engagements
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Booking
Invite Norman to Your Event
Norman speaks at a limited number of events each year. To inquire about availability and topics, please get in touch.
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