Esther Lee

Esther Lee is the President and CEO of Refraction, a technology innovation hub in Northern Virginia, focused on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship by nurturing and mentoring startups and high-growth companies. Prior to joining Refraction, Esther served as Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where she oversaw 14 state agencies. In that role, she led Virginia’s successful bid for Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2).
Esther has also served as Global Chief Marketing and New Business Officer at Burson-Marsteller, a leading global strategic communications firm, advising major clients like Samsung, Coca-Cola, and Marriott. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Esther as Senior Policy Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. She created and led the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She also launched the White House “Startup America” initiative and the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship.