Rees, a 49-year-old independent, was born in Montclair, N.J., to Italian-American parents on Nov. 14, 1961. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University. Rees headed to New York City to work in media and branding and received a master’s in business administration from Columbia University.

After Rees’ marriage ended, her father’s ailing health prompted her to move back to Montclair, where she managed the family inn. When her father died, she moved to San Francisco, remarried and opened a restaurant.

After the restaurant failed, Rees started a venture capital firm, Venture Strategy Group. She still serves as managing director of the company, now called VSP Capital. Campaign consultant Nick Panagopoulos said Rees has taken steps to wind the firm down in recent years. She started exploring a mayoral run two years before announcing in September 2010.

Rees teaches business at Santa Clara University and has served on the boards of several educational and entrepreneurial organizations. Her accolades include being named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum and one of the “Most Influential Business Women in the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Business Times.

Rees has two children in college. She lives in the Richmond district with her husband and two stepchildren.