
Tony Fadell
Engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor

Bio
Anthony “Tony” Fadell is an active investor and entrepreneur with a 30+ year history of founding companies and designing products that profoundly improve people’s lives. He founded Nest Labs, Inc. in 2010 and served as its Chief Executive Officer until 2016. Known as the “father of the iPod,” he joined Apple Computer Inc. in 2001 and, as the SVP of Apple’s iPod division, led the team that created the first 18 generations of the iPod and the first three generations of the iPhone.
Fadell has filed more than 300 patents for his work and was named one of Time's “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2014. In May 2016, Time named the Nest Learning Thermostat, the iPod and the iPhone three of the “50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time.” Fadell graduated with a BS degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1991.
Recommended Readings

News
iPod Inventor and Nest Founder Tony Fadell Named MAD’s Inaugural Designer in Residence

Sep 30, 2025
Watch the Replay of Beyond Human: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Design

Dec 12, 2024
Events

Design Miami: Beyond Human
Panel / Roundtable, Conference, Design Miami
Dec 6, 2024

MAD Reads
Book Club
Oct 21, 2025
