Tim Wu, Executive Director, Battery Foundation

Today, my guest is Tim Wu, Executive Director of The Battery Foundation and Battery Powered, where he activates the charitable giving of The Battery membership in San Francisco. Tim is a seasoned nonprofit leader, philanthropist, and public servant with more than three decades of experience spanning media, government, law, and the social sector.

Prior to this role, Tim spent over 13 years as Executive Vice President of Philanthropy at the San Francisco Zoological Society, where he led all aspects of the organization’s development strategy — from annual giving and capital campaigns to major donor cultivation, corporate partnerships, and board relations.

Earlier in his career, Tim served as Chief Strategy Officer at ZeroDivide, a foundation dedicated to bridging the digital divide among California’s underserved communities. He previously played a pivotal role as Deputy Director of The September 11th Fund, where he helped create and manage a $500 million relief program — the largest disaster cash assistance program in U.S. history — ultimately serving more than 100,000 victims and survivors.

Tim also served as a White House Fellow under President Clinton, assigned as a special assistant to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala. Earlier in his career, he worked as an Associate Producer at CBS News on programs including CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes, and as an on-air reporter for Hong Kong’s TVB-News.

Timothy holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BS from Princeton University.