Stephen Gilfus

Current

• General Partner at Gilfus Education Group
• Managing Partner at Gilfus Venture Partners
• Founder (Left January 2008) at Blackboard Inc.

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Past

• Investor at Wedding Wire
• Financial Representative at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter

Education

• Cornell University

Recommended

2 people have recommended Stephen

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

E-Learning

Websites

• Gilfus Education Group
• Cornell University
• My RSS feed

Stephen Gilfus’s Summary

Steve is a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and noted software designer and inventor. He has been noted as being instrumental to the development of the eLearning market space and making Blackboard Inc. a leading provider of e-Learning software and services, as a company founder and primary designer of the companies product platform.

After leaving Blackboard in January of 2008, he formed the Gilfus Education Group. an independent consulting and technology firm focused on strategic, implementation and research services to educational institutions, industry investors and the educational companies that serve them.

He has presented and keynoted at several leading global industry conferences and has lectured on teaching and learning on the Internet and the growing online learning marketplace at hundred’s of academic institutions within the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, and Latin America.

He is also currently Managing Partner of Gilfus Venture Partners LLC. (with investments in WeddingWire.com, UpsideOver.com and several other internet start-ups). Chairman of the Board of Upside Over Inc., (an internet specialty retailer), and Chairman of Event Innovation Inc.

Gilfus holds a B.S degree from Cornell University where he was an academic scholar. He is a member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, Advisory Board Member of Entrepreneurship @ Cornell, and founder of the Cornell Entrepreneur Organization.

Stephen Gilfus’s Specialties:

Visionary Products, Organizational Leadership and Management, Software Design and Development, Corporate Development and Entrepreneurial Start ups, New Business Design, Marketing and Positioning

Stephen Gilfus’s Experience

• General Partner

  Gilfus Education Group

  (Privately Held; E-Learning industry)

  January 2008 — Present (1 year 11 months)

  The Gilfus Education Group, is a consulting, management company serving clients across the United States and internationally which require insightful and diversified expertise expertise in such areas such areas as clean technologies, education practices, organizational research, business development, educational technologies, student retention, student job placement, and educational marketing and communications.
  
  The Gilfus Education Group provides services to organizations looking for capabilities in various industries including:
  • Education: Secondary and Post-Secondary
  • Sports and Entertainment: Technologies and Facilities
  • Municipal: Transportation Infrastructure
  
  With a focus on:
  • Educational Technologies
  • New Energy Infrastructure Technologies
  • Business Re-Engineering
  • Go To Market Strategies.

• Managing Partner

  Gilfus Venture Partners

  (Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)

  January 2007 — Present (2 years 11 months)

  Gilfus Venture Partners, LLC (GVP) was created to stimulate and advance the development of Web [business / eBusiness] ventures.
  http://www.gilfusventurepartners.com
  
  The company delivers three principle services:
  1) Consulting with entrepreneurs who are creating new promising internet ventures.,
  2) Investing in and helping raise capital for promising internet ventures,
  3) Analyzing the components of internet ventures for potential investors.
  
  GVP is primarily interested in three types of companies
  1) Education and eLearning
  2) Social networking as a key element
  3) Niche / Boutique - [online retail / eRetail]

• Founder (Left January 2008)

  Blackboard Inc.

  (Public Company; BBBB; E-Learning industry)

  1997 — Present (12 years )

  Stephen departed Blackboard in January of 2008.
  As a Blackboard company founder he directed the initial original vision, planning, strategy, development and sales and marketing efforts. He developed the companies business plan, sold the companies first 15 customers, and was a primary designer of the companies product platform. During his tenure he provided both strategic and tactical leadership while providing mentoring and direction for many departments. He worked cross-organizationally as a facilitator and change agent. Gilfus was head of 85% of the companies various departments moving from one to the other as strategic areas required growth. Prior to his departure he grew Blackboard's professional services division into a $35M practice and provided executive leadership to the companies K12 president and division.
  
  Stephen is a noted designer and inventor and directed the development efforts around Blackboard's core platform. He authored numerous articles and white papers and was the primary author of the Educational Technology Framework – sometimes referred to as “the Gilfus Model of educational technology adoption”.
  
  Mr. Gilfus was instrumental in growing the company through five private rounds of financing - raising over $100 million dollars in venture capital and in 2004 helped take the company public on the NASDAQ (BBBB) where it has achieved over 200% stock appreciation. Blackboard’s flagship products are used by millions of students in thousands of institutions all around the world.
  
  His expertise managing fast growth Internet software companies coupled with his entrepreneurial passion was critical to Blackboard's success and ability to go from start-up to a public company, in 2004 (Nasdaq: BBBB). The company enjoys over $350 million in annual revenues, with ~1200 employees with Blackboard's flagship products being used by millions of students across more than 3,600 institutions in 70 countries.

• Investor

  Wedding Wire

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Internet industry)

  March 2007 — March 2008 (1 year 1 month)

  WeddingWire was created by a team of entrepreneurs, including two founding members of Blackboard Inc., (Tim Chi with Lee Wang) to provide engaged couples with comprehensive vendor search and easy-to-use online planning and community tools.
  
  Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) acquired 40% of this business on Feb 19th of 2007.

• Financial Representative

  Morgan Stanley Dean Witter

  (Public Company; MS; Financial Services industry)

  January 1992 — 1993 (1 year )

Stephen Gilfus’s Education

• Cornell University

  BS , Academic Scholar , 1995 — 1997

  I was an academic scholar with a focus in Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise and Applied Economics and Management. Every year you will find me in Ithaca at Cornell visiting during the annual Entrepreneur Celebration whereby the university honors individuals that have made major contributions. Winners include Jeff Hawkings of Palm, David Duffield of Peoplesoft, Ken Blanchard of The 5 Minute Manager, Rob Ryan of Ascend Communications and several others. I continue to remain highly connected into the entrepreneurial environment and am thankful for the support they have provided me along the way.

  Activities and Societies:

  CEO Founder (Cornell Entrepreneur Organization),

Additional Information

Stephen Gilfus’s Websites:

• Gilfus Education Group
• Cornell University
• My RSS feed

Stephen Gilfus’s Interests:

Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Angel Investing, Business Consulting, Organizational Behavior, Educational Technology, E-Learning, LMS, LCMS, CMS, SaaS,

Stephen Gilfus’s Groups:

Society of Industry Leaders - Vista Research (Standard & Poors), Coleman Research Group Executive Forum (CRG), Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), Cornell Club of New York, Cornell Entrepreneur Organization, Entrepreneurship@Cornell Advisory Council

•    Cornell University Alumni Network
•    Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)
•    Private Equity and Venture Capital Group
•    Johnson School, Cornell University
•    Blackboard Alumni Network
•    Cornell University Job Connection
•    Technology in Education
•    Venture Capital Group
•    EDUCAUSE
•    Ivy League Entrepreneurs and Business Owners
•    Ivy Referral Network (IRN)
•    WebCT Alumni Network
•    For-profit online postsecondary education
•    Entrepreneurship@Cornell Advisory Council
•    NACUBO
•    IVY GROUPS - The Professional Network for Ivy League Alumni
•    Social Technology in Education
•    Gilfus Education Group

Stephen Gilfus’s Honors:

Business Consulting Award (Cornell University), US Patent: US 6,988,138 B1 - Internet-based education support system and methods, Cambridge Who's Who 2007-2008 (VIP Member)



Keynote Speaker: NYSCATE, EDUCAUSE

Stephen Gilfus’s Contact Settings

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• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
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• reference requests
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