I couldn’t find street parking before a Board meeting in the Boston Innovation District, and so, I parked in one of those garages where they valet your car. The valet person was very friendly, and he initiated a conversation. He came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. He was 24 and came alone. He
Need Some Input: Coffee Connect with a VC?
I’m helping the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA). They lowered the bar, and I’m now on the Board. I’d like to come up with some events that entrepreneurs will find helpful. For me, the criteria are: open and inclusive, and helpful to the entrepreneur. Ideally, an entrepreneur spear-heads this, but I’m happy to do
Harvard, Rowing, and “Play to Win, Learn to Lose”
I had a Skype video with an entrepreneur last week. His company isn’t in a space we know well, but he came referred by a highly-regarded friend. So, I wanted to connect and try to help. I’m glad I did. Our conversation delved into sports. He used to row a lot. Think of large crews
A Nice Tweet and Why I Do VC
Daniel McCarthy (@SirDanielMac) sent me a nice Tweet: Love your mission for Kepha, by the way. Not many VCs these days with a strategy to help so early when the startups really need it. It made my day, and so, thank you, Daniel. And, we do have a Mission and Operating Principles. I love my
How I Blog
I’ve received quite a few emails of encouragement from people who read my blog. To all of you, I say thank you very much! One question I get is how I blog. So I thought I’d write about what I do. I find that I blog best in the morning. Maybe it’s the caffeine and
My Taxes (and How Did My Congressman, Barney Frank, Become a Millionaire?)
Our marginal income tax rate will be 54.1%: 35% Federal, 5.3% State, 3.8% Medicare and 10% for charities (we give away 10% of our pre-tax income; see “A VC’s View on Charitable Giving”). And, if the Bush tax rates expire, add another 5%. This all just covers wages, and it excludes the coming 3.8% investment