Those who know him understand why Russ Hall has been described as “the complete package” — a business leader with vision, training, experience, and integrity. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Russ earned his MS in civil engineering at UC Berkeley before joining the Stanford MBA program in 1979. His classmate Dan Rudolph, MBA ’81, recalls when Russ shifted his career focus to apply his business experience, investment savvy, and leadership skills to help fund philanthropic causes. “After achieving success in management consulting, in Silicon Valley, and with venture capital firms, Russ began a new career by helping to create the venture philanthropy concept at Legacy Venture based in Palo Alto.”
Russ co-founded Legacy Venture in 1999, spending the next 23 years working with philanthropists, investors, and foundations to support causes benefiting education, the environment, economic development, and arts and culture, among others. Under Russ’s leadership, Legacy Venture grew to manage nearly $2 billion in commitments from over 600 investors. “From a relatively modest beginning, Russ and his team raised hundreds of millions of dollars in gifts and have now given billions to nonprofits around the world,” Dan says.
Russ shares a passion for venture philanthropy with his wife and classmate, Debbie Hall, MBA ’81, who serves on boards of nonprofits working to eradicate poverty in developing countries. In 2023, Russ became a managing partner of Next Legacy, a new VC firm created in 2021 when Next Play Capital and Legacy Venture joined forces. Their mission: “Amplify the impact of our diverse community of philanthropists, athletes, cultural luminaries, venture capitalists, and founders through outsized venture capital returns.” Russ brings four decades of experience in the VC and philanthropy worlds to this next challenge — serving as a leader and mentor. As his classmate Dan says, “What an incredible career and an incredible way to help change lives, change organizations, and change the world.”
