Matt Hershenson
About Matt Hershenson
Matt Hershenson is a founding partner at Playground Global and a seasoned technology engineer with a background at companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google.
Founding Partner of Playground Global
Matt Hershenson is a Founding Partner at Playground Global. In this role, he utilizes his extensive experience in engineering and hardware development to support and mentor technology startups. Playground Global focuses on providing a collaborative environment and necessary resources to innovative companies in early development stages.
Early Career at Apple
Matt Hershenson’s earliest professional experience was at Apple, where he gained invaluable knowledge and skills in manufacturing engineering. He worked in Apple's 'Mac Factory,' an experience that laid the foundation for his future endeavors. Later, he joined the PowerBook group, contributing to the design of Apple’s line of PowerBook laptops, further cementing his reputation in hardware engineering.
Co-Founder of Danger and Contribution to Microsoft
Matt Hershenson co-founded Danger, a company that was pioneering in creating the first consumer smartphone. After Danger was acquired by Microsoft, he remained with the company for two years. At Microsoft, he served as a Partner in Hardware Engineering, leveraging his expertise to advance the company's hardware projects.
Director of Hardware at Google’s Android Team
Matt Hershenson joined Google's Android team as Director of Hardware. In this capacity, he was instrumental in building the Android hardware team from the ground up. Under his leadership, the team successfully shipped over 10 generations of devices, including phones, tablets, and streaming receivers. His work at Google significantly contributed to the growth and diversification of Android hardware.
Personal Life and Philosophy
Matt Hershenson resides in the Bay Area with his wife, to whom he has been married for over 20 years, and their three children. Known for his willingness to take technological risks, Hershenson believes in the importance of creating meaningful and significant innovations. This philosophy drives his work and has been a key factor in his numerous professional successes.