Dagmar Dolby

Dagmar Dolby is an enthusiastic advocate for health, science, and the arts. She was born in Germany and graduated from Heidelberg University in 1966.  After moving to San Francisco from London in 1976, she was first introduced to non-profit leadership through the boards of her sons’ schools and later served on local educational and arts organization boards. In the 1980’s and early 1990’s, Dagmar devoted significant time as President of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Northern California Chapter, a volunteer women’s group that has raised millions of dollars nationally for graduate students in science, technology and medicine.  Over the last 25 years, she has become a national champion for reproductive freedom and has more recently expanded her social justice portfolio to many democracy and voting rights organizations.  

As president of the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund her energy and philanthropy are multifaceted, but focused on supporting Alzheimer’s research, care and advocacy, after living with the challenges of this disease faced by her late husband, Ray Dolby, inventor of audio technology and founder of Dolby Laboratories, leader in the entertainment and communications industries. The Dolbys met in Cambridge during a summer school course in 1962.  She has two sons, Tom and David Dolby and 5 young granddaughters.