Robert Pera

Robert Pera has served as Chairman and Controlling Owner of the Grizzlies since 2012. Pera has made significant investments into the Grizzlies, and under his stewardship, the organization has experienced unprecedented success, including a club-record 56-win season and the club’s first appearance in the Western Conference Finals. The Grizzlies have also won more playoff games during Pera’s tenure than in the 17 seasons prior. More importantly, Pera has stayed true to his commitment to “make a positive and meaningful difference in the community,” becoming a strong supporter of the Grizzlies Foundation. Understanding the power of sport to transform lives, particularly those of children at risk, the Grizzlies Foundation has invested significantly in: increasing the number of high school graduates prepared for success in college and the workforce; enabling positive adult mentors to engage in youth mentoring and development; and ensuring that all Memphians have access to healthy exercise spaces. The Grizzlies are the first professional sports team ever to receive the prestigious President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Award in recognition of exemplary service to the broader community.

Pera, who grew up in Silicon Valley and established his first computer services company at the age of 16, founded Ubiquiti Inc., a next-generation, global communications technology company, with $30,000 of his personal savings. Pera saw an opportunity to enhance existing 802.11 WiFi technology such that it could be used to bring the internet to underserved areas (e.g., rural areas and developing regions) lacking the infrastructure to access the internet through traditional avenues. Ubiquiti has since successfully expanded into new market segments (e.g., enterprise-class networking equipment and consumer electronics). Under Pera’s leadership, Ubiquiti has made meaningful progress towards closing the digital divide. Ubiquiti’s community of grass roots operators have connected millions of people to the Internet in some of the most remote regions in the world. Pera continues to serve as Ubiquiti’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, roles for which he does not receive any equity compensation.

Pera has received numerous accolades and widespread media recognition, including Top 10 “Young and Powerful CEOs under 40” and Top 10 “Youngest Billionaires in the World.” Pera earned a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, all from the University of California, San Diego. Upon graduating, he accepted a position as a hardware engineer at Apple where he worked until leaving to launch Ubiquiti.