Karla Jurvetson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karla Jurvetson
|
|
|---|---|
Jurvetson in 2018
|
|
| Born |
Karla Tinklenberg
1966 (age 58–59) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
|
| Education | Stanford University (BS) University of California School of Medicine (MD) |
| Occupation |
|
Karla Jurvetson is an American doctor, a generous giver (philanthropist), and someone who helps organize political campaigns. She is a big supporter of the Democratic Party. She especially helps women and people of color who are running for office. Karla Jurvetson is also a strong supporter of protecting voting rights in the United States. She is the vice chair of EMILY's List, a group that helps women who support certain causes get elected.
Contents
What Karla Jurvetson Does
Karla Jurvetson works as a doctor in Los Altos, California. She has her own private practice, which means she sees patients in her own office.
About Her Life
Karla Jurvetson was born in New Haven, Connecticut. She grew up in Palo Alto, California. Her mother was a nurse, and her father was a doctor and a professor at a medical school. Her grandfather was a chaplain in the U.S. Navy.
Her Education
Karla went to Stanford University. She earned a special degree in human biology. After that, she went to the University of California School of Medicine. She became a medical doctor (MD). She then finished her special training, called a residency, at Stanford Hospital.
Her Family
In 1990, Karla married Steve Jurvetson. He became a successful investor in Silicon Valley. He invested in big companies like SpaceX and Tesla. They were married for over 25 years and have two children. They separated in 2015 and later divorced in 2018.
In 2017, Karla helped fund a new building for the Stanford Medical Center. She did this to honor her father's 50 years as a medical school professor. She also helped create a special teaching position (professorship) named after her parents.
Her Work in Politics
Karla Jurvetson has spent more than 35 years helping with political campaigns. She volunteers her time and helps raise money for many Democratic candidates.
Early Political Involvement
When she was a student at Stanford in 1988, Karla helped Anna Eshoo in her first campaign for Congress. She went door-to-door, sharing information about Eshoo. In 2008, Karla volunteered in Nevada for Barack Obama when he was running for president. She also made many donations to Democratic candidates that year.
Increased Support for Candidates
In 2016, Karla helped Hillary Clinton and Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada. Catherine Cortez Masto became the first Latina U.S. Senator. After the 2016 election, Karla started donating much more money to Democratic candidates. She became one of the biggest political donors in the country.
For the 2018 elections, Karla helped with voter registration. This means she helped people sign up to vote. She also helped host events to raise money for Democratic candidates. She even took a break from her medical practice to focus on political goals. These goals included making it easier for people to vote and protecting democracy.
Role at EMILY's List
Karla Jurvetson is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for EMILY's List. This group supports women who are running for office and who support certain causes. EMILY's List has more than five million members.
Notable Donations and Campaigns
Karla made a large donation to Women Vote!, a group connected to EMILY's List. This donation was unusual because it was in the form of company shares, not just money. The donation was checked by lawyers to make sure it followed the rules. In 2018, EMILY's List helped Congresswoman Sharice Davids win her election. She became one of the first Native American women elected to Congress.
In 2019, Karla hosted an event at her home with former President Barack Obama. This event raised a lot of money for the Democratic Party. In 2020, she gave a large amount of money to a group supporting Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign. When Joe Biden became the Democratic nominee, she also donated a lot of money to a group supporting him. She donated to over 500 races across the country in 2020. These included races for Congress and state-level positions.
Protecting Voting Rights
In 2021 and 2022, Karla Jurvetson was a leader among big Democratic donors. She urged President Biden and other leaders to pass laws that protect voting rights. This was in response to some states making it harder for people to vote.
For the 2022 elections, Karla focused on helping Democratic governors get elected in important states. These governors could help protect fair elections. She supported candidates like Katie Hobbs in Arizona, Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, and Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania.
In 2023, Karla continued to focus on elections in important states like Arizona and Wisconsin. She was one of the first national donors to Judge Janet Protasiewicz. Judge Protasiewicz won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Karla also supported Arizona Congressperson Ruben Gallego's campaign for the U.S. Senate. She helped host a big fundraiser for his campaign.
Karla Jurvetson was also a major donor in the campaign to defeat Issue One in Ohio. This issue would have made it harder for voters to change the state constitution. Ohio voters rejected the measure. This vote was important because it showed support for people's ability to make changes through voting.
