After nearly 16 years at Nvidia, Greg Estes retired last year to dedicate more time to his family, but leaving the workforce turned out to be more challenging than he had anticipated. "Transitioning from a remarkable job, where I was engaged in groundbreaking work, to unemployed and shopping for avocados at Safeway has been tough," shared Estes, who served as vice president of corporate marketing and developer programs and worked closely with CEO Jensen Huang.
Estes is now embarking on a new journey with EverGreen, a network composed of former Nvidia employees who provide advisory services and investments to AI startups. Officially launched in March, EverGreen allows Estes to maintain a connection to the startup community he has nurtured over the years.
The founding team of EverGreen includes notable figures from Nvidia, such as product leaders Devang Sachdev and Vishal Lulla, as well as former general manager Jeff Brown, who shifted his focus to startup consulting and venture investments before the AI surge. According to Brown, EverGreen includes a network of strategic advisors and hundreds of active investors, and its partners are developing this initiative alongside other professional commitments.
The group’s name reflects the ongoing affinity many ex-employees feel for Nvidia. As Brown puts it, many still have "green blood" even after leaving the company.
EverGreen emerged from a larger Nvidia alumni community that encompasses LinkedIn groups, email distributions, and in-person events, boasting around 30,000 members, according to Brown. Similar networks have been established around other tech powerhouses, such as Google's Xoogler Community and the Microsoft Alumni Network.
Within this network, a particular subset began to explore ways to share their expertise with emerging AI entrepreneurs. "It's about giving back while also having the chance to invest," Brown remarked.
Focusing primarily on companies affiliated with Nvidia that do not compete directly with it, EverGreen spans multiple sectors including infrastructure, developer tools, and robotics, and has already made investments in startups like Protopia AI—cofounded by ex-Nvidia researcher Eiman Ebrahimi—and Sophia Space, which received recognition during Huang’s keynote address at GTC in March.
However, EverGreen's appeal extends beyond monetary investment. "The true value of EverGreen lies in the network, not just our financial backing," Estes noted. The organization organizes startup showcases and offers one-on-one mentoring. Unlike traditional venture capital, EverGreen does not pool funds; instead, it evaluates startups individually and invites members to invest accordingly.
While the initial intent was to target Nvidia alumni, Estes clarified that founders are welcome to join even if they don’t have a history at Nvidia. He noted that many Nvidia employees tend to remain with the company, pointing out that despite some achieving considerable financial success, many continue their careers because they find the work rewarding.
"Learning from Jensen is valuable irrespective of your tenure," Estes commented regarding the company’s CEO.
Though EverGreen operates independently of Nvidia, there exists a mutually beneficial relationship between the two. Estes highlighted that he received approval from senior Nvidia leaders before launching, stating that "if you're involved in Nvidia’s venture side, we're a source of deal flow for you." He also emphasized that EverGreen helps connect startups with Nvidia.
"There would be no successful model if Nvidia didn’t appreciate our existence," he concluded.
