Keith Witek

Keith Witek is a technology executive with a career spanning semiconductor engineering, law, corporate strategy, and operations across major companies in the technology sector. As chief operating officer of Tenstorrent, Witek oversees corporate operations, finance, human resources, strategy, supply chain, and intellectual property licensing. He has contributed to the expansion of Tenstorrent's initiatives in artificial intelligence and RISC-V compute solutions across industry sectors including cloud, Internet of Things, and automotive. Tenstorrent is a semiconductor company focused on developing high-performance CPU and AI chips based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set.

Witek holds a Juris Doctor in law and business from the University of Texas at Austin and dual degrees in electrical and computer engineering and computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His early career included roles as an etch engineer in Motorola's MOS 11 fabrication facility, a system-on-chip designer for embedded microcontrollers for companies such as BMW and Seagate, and work in Motorola's Advanced Product Research and Development Lab on advanced semiconductor processes and devices. Before joining AMD, Witek was co-managing attorney for the Technology Transactions Group at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati in Austin, focusing on startups and mergers and acquisitions.

During his 13 years at AMD, Witek served as corporate vice president of strategy and corporate development, overseeing AMD Ventures, mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy, and strategic alliances. At Tesla, he was director of technology enablement and associate general counsel, leading research and development enablement, including the development of Tesla's autopilot capabilities. At SiFive, Witek was senior vice president of corporate development and general counsel, structuring industry partnerships and global business models for RISC-V adoption. Before joining Tenstorrent, he led strategic alliances for Google's consumer electronics operations, including Pixel, gChips, Fitbit, Nest, augmented reality and virtual reality, wearables, hearables, and other product lines.

Witek is an inventor on more than 30 issued U.S. patents and several foreign patents. He has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, teaching a course on strategic intellectual property and technology licensing. Witek is co-author of an Internet and IP law treatise published by West Publishing, contributing chapters on intellectual property creation, management, licensing, and technology transactions. He has published papers and spoken internationally on topics related to intellectual property, business development, and contracts. Witek's insights on artificial intelligence and RISC-V have been featured in discussions with ARK Invest and on podcasts such as BrainChip's "This is Our Mission."

Witek serves on the board of StartingBlock Madison, supporting entrepreneurship and innovation. His experience bridging engineering, law, and executive strategy across companies including Motorola, AMD, Tesla, Google, and Tenstorrent positions him as a knowledgeable voice on AI computing, open-source hardware, and the global semiconductor industry.