OFFICIAL SITE FOR DAVE BERKUS

About Dave

Dave Berkus is an early stage venture capitalist with a hands-on background in technology. An entrepreneur for over fifty years, he formed and managed successful businesses in the entertainment and software arenas, and is a respected technology industry leader and spokesperson. He is a much-in-demand keynote speaker throughout the world, addressing technology trends for corporate planning, building great companies, and sharing great, epic stories about entrepreneurism from his vast personal experience.

As Managing Partner of Kodiak Ventures, L.P., Wayfare Ventures, LLC, three ACE Funds, and Berkus Technology Ventures, LLC, all private equity investment funds – and Chairman- Emeritus of the Tech Coast Angels, one of the largest angel investing networks in the United States, today Dave is board chairman or board member of ten technology companies. Active as investor or board member in a total of over 190 early stage companies since 1993, he was recognized as Director of the Year – Early Stage Businesses by the Forum for Corporate Directors of Orange County, California, as Technology Leader of the Year by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, as Businessperson of the Year by his alma mater, Occidental College, and as US Early Stage Venture Capitalist of the Year at the International Fund Awards.

Dave was an early pioneer in the mini-computer industry, guiding the company he founded, Computerized Lodging Systems, Inc., through a decade of spectacular growth, including two consecutive years on the Inc.500 list of America’s fastest growing companies. He was recognized for these pioneering achievements with his induction into the Hospitality (HFTP) International Hall of Fame – one of only forty people so named worldwide over the years.

Listed in Wikipedia, Marquis’ “Who’s Who In The World” with its Albert Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, Dave is co-author of “Better Than Money!”, author of “Extending the Runway,”  “Basic Berkonomics,” Berkonomics,” “Advanced Berkonomics”, and the Small Business Success Collection of eight mini-books, as well as co-author of “Get Scrappy,” and “Better than Money” (out of print) – all books for entrepreneurs, managers and boards of directors, offering insights from Dave’s many years as a successful entrepreneur, investor, and board member.  His weekly emails and blog are circulated to well over 200,000 people, and republished and linked by many bloggers worldwide.  His TEDx talk, “Smiling at Success, Laughing at Failure,” is available from various resources, including LinkedIn and Dave’s YouTube channel, “Startup Masterclass with Dave Berkus.”

His “Berkus Method” of valuing pre-revenue startups has been used by more than 1,000,000 entrepreneurs and appears in almost 300,000 listings in search sites.

Dave serves as Past President and present Board Member of the Greater Los Angeles Council, Boy Scouts Of America, is a past vice president of the Western Region, BSA, and is Chairman of the Advisory Board of ABL-Technology, a networking organization of CEO’s in high tech businesses. A graduate of Occidental College, Dave is immediate Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the College.  In response to his philanthropic contributions, two buildings at the College bear the Berkus name.

Dave’s press mentions and resources