After years in CEO Jensen Huang's orbit, these Nvidia veterans are building a startup community of their own

After nearly 16 years at Nvidia, Greg Estes found retirement more challenging than anticipated. Leaving behind a career filled with groundbreaking projects, he expressed, "It's really hard to go from a job like that, doing amazing things, to suddenly being unemployed and looking at avocados at Safeway." Now, he has embarked on a new journey with EverGreen, a community aimed at supporting AI startups, which officially launched in March. EverGreen was founded by former Nvidia executives, including Estes, Devang Sachdev, Vishal Lulla, and Jeff Brown. This initiative serves as an advisory and investment network for AI companies, allowing its members to remain connected to the startup ecosystem they helped build during their time at Nvidia. Estes previously managed Nvidia's Inception program, which supports over 40,000 startups with cloud resources and access to Nvidia technology. The network has its roots in a larger Nvidia alumni community that has expanded to approximately 30,000 members through various LinkedIn groups, email lists, and live events. Brown noted that many former employees continue to feel a deep connection to Nvidia, which inspired the name EverGreen. Similar to networks formed around other tech giants, such as the Xoogler Community and Microsoft Alumni Network, EverGreen is focused on giving back to the next generation of AI founders. Brown highlighted the dual purpose of this initiative: sharing knowledge and making investments in emerging companies. EverGreen's investment strategy targets startups that collaborate with Nvidia while avoiding direct competition, spanning sectors like infrastructure, developer tools, and robotics. The group has already invested in Protopia AI, a security startup co-founded by former Nvidia researcher Eiman Ebrahimi, and Sophia Space, which received recognition during CEO Jensen Huang's keynote at the GTC event. Importantly, EverGreen's value lies in its extensive network rather than just financial backing. The organization organizes startup showcases and provides personalized mentorship, evaluating investment opportunities individually and inviting members to participate. While the initial focus has been on Nvidia alumni, the network is open to founders from various backgrounds. Estes clarified that many Nvidia employees remain with the company not out of necessity but due to their passion for the work, offering a unique learning experience under CEO Jensen Huang. Although EverGreen operates independently, Estes emphasized their synergistic relationship with Nvidia, having secured approval from company leaders to proceed with their endeavors. "If you're on the venture side within Nvidia, we're deal flow for you," he remarked, underscoring the collaborative spirit between the two entities.