Biography & Perspective

M. Sebastián Rodríguez is a technologist, advisor, and writer whose life and work evolved from migrant farm labor in California's Central Valley to technology leadership in Silicon Valley.

Formerly known as Clyde, Sebastián has a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley, where he received the university’s Distinguished EECS Alumni Award in 2020. Sebastián has held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, AMD, Meta, and Two Sigma, working across AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and cloud infrastructure.

As founder and CEO of Ascend Logic, he serves as a confidential advisor and mentor to senior executives and advises organizations on AI strategy, cybersecurity, technical due diligence, and governance. He is a frequent lecturer at the Haas School of Business on AI and its cybersecurity and privacy risks. He advises organizations on AI strategy, cybersecurity, technical due diligence, and governance.

He remains an active supporter of UC Berkeley, serving as a Trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation and on advisory boards for the College of Engineering and the Berkeley Institute for Security and Governance. His nonprofit and public-service work focuses on education, cybersecurity and technology policy, mentoring students and rising professionals, and creating opportunities for emerging writers.

Sebastián is available for keynotes, fireside conversations, and small-group engagements on human agency in the age of AI, technology and responsibility, leadership, migration and belonging, and the transformative power of education. He has delivered commencement keynotes at UC Berkeley and other academic institutions.

He is currently writing /root: A Migrant's Son in Silicon Valley, a memoir about migration, technology, identity, and human agency. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, an artist and concert pianist, and their daughter.