John Baird

About John Baird

John is a leadership coach, advisor, and educator dedicated to helping leaders build high-performing teams without sacrificing their humanity. He is widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s premier executive coaches, having worked with iconic companies such as Apple, Nike, eBay, and Hewlett-Packard, as well as the founders of MasterClass, DoorDash, Remitly, and Outreach. He currently serves as a Faculty in Residence at San Jose State University and is the Wall Street Journal bestselling co-author of Leading with Heart (with Edward Sullivan) and the forthcoming Tough Enough: How to Lead a Team to Greatness without Being a Jerk (with Matt Hunter).(Fall 2026). After transitioning from the chair of Velocity Coaching in January 2025, the firm he co-founded, John now collaborates selectively with founders, CEOs, and boards—primarily in technology (including AI), biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. He has also expanded his practice to include university presidents and leaders at academic institutions. John is developing an AI-enabled leadership platform with a beta launch planned for Q2 2026. He holds a PhD in Organizational Communication and Leadership from Purdue University and spent 17 years on the faculty at San José University’s College of Business, where he was named Outstanding Professor of the University.

Experience

1. Fellow

   Sapphire Ventures

   Feb 2019 — Present

   Sapphire Fellows Program is a curated ecosystem of experts helping entrepreneurs. Sapphire has created the Sapphire Fellows program to help founders to accelerate their growth. Sapphire Fellows is a curated program that matches proven technology and business experts with portfolio companies looking for experience and a guiding hand as they grow.In addition to deep domain expertise, Fellows can assist entrepreneurs with activities such as fundraising, recruiting, and participating in strategic meetings.Sapphire Fellows are matched to portfolio companies based on specific needs, expertise and time commitments.

Education

• Miami University

  Master's degree, Communication and Media Studies

• Purdue University

  Ph.D, Communication, Leadership and Organizational Development

Skills

• Start-Ups
• Nonprofits
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Marketing Communications
• Community Outreach
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Executive Coaching
• Marketing
• Fundraising
• Leadership
• Coaching
• Leadership Development
• Succession Planning
• Program Management
• Training
• Executive Development
• Public Speaking
• Profit and Nonprofit Board Governance and Development
• Team Building
• Strategic Planning
• Management Development
• Organizational Development