Julie Sandler
Julie Sandler is a venture investor, educator, speaker, board director, and longtime community and civic leader based in Seattle.
She has spent her career at the intersection of innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, education, policy, and community. She is a venture partner at Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) and co-founder of PSL Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed and seed investments in Washington State and Pacific Northwest startups. She served as managing director of the firm for nearly a decade, investing across AI, productivity, and the future of work, with a long-standing interest in technology that expands opportunity for women and underserved communities.
Previously a partner at Madrona Venture Group, Julie has worked with hundreds of startups across the Pacific Northwest innovation ecosystem. She has served on the boards of dozens of companies including HouseWhisper AI, Rover, Outgo, Super AI, Integris, and Julep. She also led or helped originate PSL’s investments in Read AI, Starfish Space, Overland AI, and Arrived. Earlier in her career, Julie managed new product launches and digital marketing for Amazon’s Kindle ebook business worldwide. In the early 2010s, she launched the Seattle Entrepreneurial Women’s Network, an informal networking organization for women entrepreneurs in the region.
Julie graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with dual bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and earned her MBA with honors from Harvard Business School. Since 2014, she has taught entrepreneurship at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, where she has been named a multi-time departmental “Star Teacher” based on UW student course ratings.
Julie is a Presidential Leadership Scholar and has served in leadership and board roles across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She has served on the Washington Roundtable for over a decade, where she was Chair in 2025.
A frequent keynote speaker and commentator, Julie has been featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, TechCrunch, and Inc Magazine. Her recognitions include Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Women of Influence” and “Power 100,” GeekWire’s “Geek of the Year” and “Hire of the Year.” She lives in Seattle with her husband, Alejandro, and their two children.