A profile of Christian Garrett, co-founder of the Hill and Valley Forum and partner at 137 Ventures, who has become Silicon Valley's diplomat to Washington, DC
Margaux MacColl / The San Francisco Standard : X: @wolfejosh , @cgarrett_15 , @cgarrett_15 , @hkanji , and @seanhenryatl X: Josh Wolfe / @wolfejosh : He @CGarrett_15 is the man. A smart savvy class act, an ubermensch and super connector always paying it forward. And yes...he can dunk. Christian Garrett / @cgarrett_15 : Feels low status being called an ultra connector but otherwise it's a good article. Thanks for everyone who came out to support @jacobhelberg @zebulgar and I. And thanks to Jacob to lesding this to become bigger than we imagined :) Christian Garrett / @cgarrett_15 : Hill and Valley co-founder Christian Garrett quietly bridges tech and government https://sfstandard.com/... Hussein Kanji / @hkanji : The young investor is the rare power broker who gives away no partisan preferences. That's why everyone is listening to him. https://sfstandard.com/... Sean Henry / @seanhenryatl : Christian is a true force to have in our corner at Stord. “Ultra connector” is an understatement. Proud to work with him.
Context & Ripple Effects
Christian Garrett’s role connects two established Silicon Valley functions: investor-network building and political access. Earlier coverage described Bradley Tusk’s regulatory-fixer role for Uber, while the Hill and Valley Forum places Garrett at a newer bridge between tech and Washington.
The policy channel is becoming more important as startups seek representation in federal debates: YC’s Washington lobbying for “Little Tech” framed regulation as a competitive issue, not just a compliance one.
First-order effects
- Garrett’s public positioning strengthens the Hill and Valley Forum’s visibility as a convening point for technology and government figures.
- For 137 Ventures and companies in Garrett’s network, his cross-sector relationships can make policy conversations and institutional introductions more accessible.
Second-order effects
- Other investors, founders, and advocacy groups face greater pressure to build durable Washington networks rather than treat policy outreach as an occasional response to a specific rulemaking.
- Access itself becomes a differentiator among startup ecosystems: well-connected firms may be better positioned to convey how proposed rules affect younger companies, echoing the concerns behind YC’s “Little Tech” campaign.
Third-order effects
- If this model spreads, informal connector networks may become a more permanent layer of tech’s policy infrastructure, alongside trade associations and in-house government-relations teams.
- That could concentrate agenda-setting power among investors and conveners with both capital networks and political access, even where they present themselves as nonpartisan.
The trend: Silicon Valley is professionalizing its Washington presence as policy access becomes part of the competitive infrastructure around technology investing and company building.