Early Life
Weili Dai was born in Shanghai, China, where she played semi-professional basketball before moving to the United States at the age of 17. She attended Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco before earning a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Rise to Success
In 1995, Dai co-founded Marvell Technology Group with her husband, Sehat Sutardja, and his brother, Pantas Sutardja. The company initially focused on data storage solutions and grew to become a major player in the semiconductor industry. Dai served in significant positions within Marvell, including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President, and General Manager of the Communications Business Group. Marvell's success led to Dai being recognized as one of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" by Forbes.
Key Business Strategies
Dai played a pivotal role in creating important strategic partnerships for Marvell. Her leadership helped Marvell's technology become an integral part of many products in enterprise, communications, mobile computing, consumer, and emerging markets. Dai has also been a driving force in expanding access to technology in developing countries and promoting opportunities between the U.S. and China. Her philosophy emphasizes fairness, caring, and teamwork.
Philanthropy
Dai has been involved in promoting diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. She promoted the partnership with the One Laptop Per Child program (OLPC) and advocated for women in STEM fields. Dai is a board member of the disaster relief organization Give2Asia. In recognition of their generosity, the Sutardja Dai Hall at UC Berkeley was named for Dai along with her husband.