David Beisel

Current

• Vice President at Venrock
• Founder and Organizer at Web Innovators Group

Past

• Principal at Masthead Venture Partners
• Co-Founder; VP Marketing at Sombasa Media / About Inc. / Primedia
• Associate at Parthenon Group

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Education

• Stanford Unviersity
• Duke University

Recommended

2 people have recommended David

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Venture Capital & Private Equity

Websites

• My Blog
• My Company
• My Website

David Beisel’s Summary

I am currently a Vice President at Venrock, an early stage venture capital firm. Although open to investments in any IT-related space, I am currently focused on working with early-stage entrepreneurs looking for additional capital and expertise to help build digital media & internet companies. I currently serve on the boards of portfolio investments Second Rotation and BlogHer, and am actively involved with Appnexus.

I am founder and organizer of the Web Innovators Group, an organization comprised of people engaged in internet and mobile innovation in the Boston area. In addition, I actively blog at GenuineVC.com.

Previously I served as a Principal at Masthead Venture Partners. While at Masthead, I helped lead an investment in Expo TV, and was an integral member of the team for our investments in Tremor Media, Intercasting, TripConnect, and NewsGator. Prior to joining Masthead, I co-founded Sombasa Media, an e-mail marketing company best known for its flagship product BargainDog. Sombasa was successfully acquired by About Inc., which was soon after acquired by Primedia (NYSE: PRM). Our group became the About Direct division of Primedia, where I served as Vice President of Marketing. While in that role, I led the marketing team responsible for the company's e-mail newsletter product suite, managed the division's customer relationship operations, and coordinated related business development activities.

In addition, I've worked as a management consultant at The Parthenon Group and in product management at Adobe Systems.

My educational background includes an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an AB in Economics, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Duke University.

On a personal note, in the past ten years I've completed a 1,500mi unsupported solo cycling journey from Land's End to John O'Groats (UK), worked at Vail resort as a children's ski instructor, and served as a volunteer mentor in the wonderful IHAD program.

David Beisel’s Specialties:

Internet, digital media, online marketing, digital imaging, early-stage venture capital, consumer software.

David Beisel’s Experience

• Vice President

  Venrock

  (Partnership; 11-50 employees; Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)

  May 2007 — Present (2 years 7 months)

  Engaged with early-stage entrepreneurs looking for additional capital and expertise to help build digital media companies.

• Founder and Organizer

  Web Innovators Group

  (Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Internet industry)

  2004 — Present (5 years )

  Started and lead professional networking group which is comprised of people engaged in internet and mobile innovation in the Boston area. We aim to support entrepreneurs, visionaries, and creative thinkers in the field by holding events which foster community interaction.

• Principal

  Masthead Venture Partners

  (Partnership; 1-10 employees; Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)

  2004 — April 2007 (3 years )

• Co-Founder; VP Marketing

  Sombasa Media / About Inc. / Primedia

  (Public Company; PRM; Internet industry)

  1999 — 2001 (2 years )

  Co-founded consumer-facing e-mail marketing company which was which was successfully sold to About.com and then subsequently transformed into the About Direct division of Primedia (NYSE: PRM). Led the marketing team responsible for the company's e-mail newsletter product suite, managed the division's customer relationship operations, and coordinated related business development activities.

• Associate

  Parthenon Group

  (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Management Consulting industry)

  1998 — 1999 (1 year )

David Beisel’s Education

• Stanford Unviersity

  MBA , August 2002 — June 2004

• Duke University

  AB , Economics , 1994 — 1998

  Phi Beta Kappa, magne cum laude

Additional Information

David Beisel’s Websites:

• My Blog
• My Company
• My Website

David Beisel’s Interests:

Skiing, cycling, running.

David Beisel’s Groups:

Web Innovators Group

•    Boston Web Innovators Group
•    Venrock
•    NEVCA-- New England Venture Capital Association

David Beisel’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• new ventures
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch