Roger and Ann McNamee
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Silver Lake Partners, Elevation Partners, venture capital
FUNDING AREAS: Animals, Arts
OVERVIEW: Roger and Ann McNamee conduct grantmaking through the Tembo Preserve Foundation, a nonprofit organization seeking to establish a permanent, one-of-a-kind sanctuary for retired zoo elephants in Northern California. The couple has a passion for the arts.
BACKGROUND: Roger McNamee graduated from Yale and has an MBA from Dartmouth. He began his career in 1982 at T. Rowe Price Associates, where he managed the top performing Science & Technology Fund and co-managed their New Horizons Fund. He went on to co-found Silver Lake Partners in 1999, a private equity fund focused on technology businesses. In 2004, McNamee and his partners launched Elevation Partners.
Ann is a singer-songwriter and music theorist with a Ph.D. in music theory from Yale.
ISSUES:
ANIMALS: The McNamees established the Tembo Preserve Foundation, a "nonprofit organization formed with the goal to establish a permanent, one-of-a-kind sanctuary for retired zoo elephants." The McNamees and the Oakland Zoo joined forces to create Tembo. A team of elephant care experts from the Oakland Zoo manage the preserve and care for the elephants in a campus that "includes eight square miles of open range land, ponds, hills, and state-of-the-art elephant shelters, supported by veterinary and research facilities." Organizers hope the preserve will benefit Tehama County and provide educational experiences for local students.
Tembo has partnered with Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE) and Utopia Scientific, a "nonprofit organization with a primary mission to promote an awareness of the importance of science, public health and conservation through research, education and community development."
ARTS: The couple is passionate about the arts. McNamee is a member of a rock band called Moonalice. McNamee has a passion for poster art, and the couple has funded Haight Street Art Center, committing at least $2 million.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the couple to remain focused on their ambitious Tembo Preserve. Keep their interest in the arts on your radar.
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