From Hypergrowth to Human Leadership: The Inside Story of Tesla and More | Jon McNeill | TEDxBoston

In this special edition of 90 Minutes of Innovation, John Werner sits down with one of the most consequential operators of the modern innovation era: Jon McNeill. From helping scale one of the most transformative companies in history as President of Tesla, Inc., to leading growth at Lyft, Inc. as COO, McNeill has been at the center of some of the defining moments in technology, mobility, and modern leadership. But this conversation goes beyond titles. This is the story of a life built around scaling the impossible. Together, John and Jon explore the arc of McNeill’s life work: the early experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy, the moments of conviction that led him to take bold bets, and the lessons learned from operating at the highest levels of hypergrowth. What does it take to help transform Tesla from an ambitious company into a global force? What does leadership look like when the stakes are existential, the pace is relentless, and the world is watching? Jon currently serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of DVx Ventures. With a track record of founding and scaling six companies, Jon has led teams that generated tens of thousands of jobs and delivered multi-billion dollar returns for investors. At DVx, Jon and his team have launched 12 companies that are attacking broad opportunities in large markets. Previously, Jon served as President at Tesla, where revenue grew from $2B to $20B in just 30 months. Following Tesla, Jon joined Lyft as COO, where he played a pivotal role in doubling revenues and helping to take the company public. With a history as a six-time serial entrepreneur, Jon has a wealth of experience in operating and scaling companies during periods of hyper-growth in revenue and operations and has delivered returns of 9x to investors. Jon currently serves on the boards of General Motors, Lululemon, Asurion, CrossFit, and Stash. He played a pivotal role in Lululemon’s turnaround, contributing to a 5x increase in stock value. He also sits on the Liquid AI Advisory Council. After graduating from Northwestern University, Jon began his career at Bain & Company. A frequent speaker and guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and Stanford GSB, Jon is known for delivering practical, actionable insights on innovation, leadership, and scaling operations. I This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx