Don Burnette
About Don Burnette
Founder and CEO
Don Burnette is the Founder and CEO of Kodiak. In his role, he leads the company in developing innovative self-driving truck technology. His leadership focuses on advancing the autonomous vehicle industry by building reliable and safe self-driving solutions.
Early Career at Google Self-Driving Car Project
Don Burnette began his career as a software tech lead for the Google self-driving car project, which later evolved into Waymo. During his tenure, he contributed to foundational developments in autonomous vehicle technology, helping lay the groundwork for the future of self-driving cars.
Co-Founder of Otto
Don Burnette co-founded Otto, the first self-driving truck startup. His work with Otto was instrumental in achieving key milestones in autonomous trucking. Otto's success drew significant attention to the industry and led to its acquisition by Uber, where he continued to work.
Software Technical Lead at Uber
Don Burnette served as Software Technical Lead at Uber for nearly two years. In this capacity, he played an essential role in Uber’s self-driving truck initiative. His technical expertise and leadership helped further the development of Uber’s autonomous vehicle programs.
Founding Kodiak
After his tenure at Uber, Don Burnette founded Kodiak. As the CEO, he guides the company in its mission to revolutionize the trucking industry with autonomous technology. Kodiak focuses on creating safe, efficient, and scalable self-driving truck solutions under his leadership.