Robert Leshner

Robert Leshner is a prominent American entrepreneur and founder of Compound, a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain. He was born in 1984 in Pipersville, Pennsylvania. Leshner attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in in economics, he is also the former chair of the San Francisco Revenue Bond Oversight Committee
Prior to founding Compound, Leshner co-founded Safe Shepherd, a privacy-focused startup that helped customers protect their personal data. He also worked for food delivery app Postmates as the lead of its merchant division. In addition, Leshner served as the co-chair of the San Francisco Revenue Bond Oversight Committee.
In August 2017, Leshner launched Compound. The company has raised over $33.2 million in two funding rounds, primarily from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
Leshner’s innovation with Compound's interest rate protocol and distribution of governance rights to its users helped kickstart the DeFi megatrend in 2020. His contributions to the DeFi space have been crucial in shaping its growth and direction, inspiring other DeFi lending protocols, and expanding his investments to other projects within the DeFi and crypto space.
Beyond his work in DeFi, Leshner is an active investor in innovative ideas, such as Braintrust, a traditional startup that has adopted DeFi governance elements. He has also invested in XMTP, a Series A investment worth $20 millio
Overall, Leshner is a prominent figure in the DeFi space, and his work with Compound has cemented his status as a leading innovator in the field.