Rachel (she/her) is a Partner at deep tech venture firm DCVC, where she focuses on climate, sustain­ability, and energy investments. Before joining DCVC, Rachel was an Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where she held leadership roles in several data science and entre­pre­neur­ship efforts. Concurrent to being a professor, Rachel was a Division Director at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she ran the Cyclotron Road Division. She also served as a Program Director at the Department of Energy’s ARPA‑E. Rachel was a Committee Member for the National Academies of Sciences Study on Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Nuclear Reactors in the U.S., served on the Dept of Energy Agency Review Team for the Biden-Harris transition, and has served on the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee (NEAC).

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Slaybaugh engages in programs to broaden the pool of those with access to entrepreneurial activities. For example, she is on the advisory board for LabStart and founded the Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp.

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Rachel received a BS in Nuclear Engineering from Penn State, where she served as a licensed nuclear reactor operator. She went on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison to earn an MS and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, along with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy. In her downtime, Rachel likes to dance, hike, and sit around and talk about things.