Dollars to Deals: An Update from the Oregon Investment Fund
During this session, David Almodovar, VP, Credit Suisse, will lead a discussion with two venture capital representatives to provide an update on the Oregon Investment Fund.
David Almodovar – VP, Credit Suisse
David is a Vice President in the Customized Fund Investment Group. Previously, David was a Director in the private equity group at the Russell Investment Group and had responsibility for investing and monitoring Russell's private equity partnership investments.
Prior to joining Russell, David was a Principal with SS Thomas & Associates and was responsible for advising the firm's clients on investment strategies, fund structures and fund raising strategies. Prior to SS Thomas & Associates, David was an Investment Officer in the alternative investment division of the Washington State Investment Board where he managed a $5.2 billion portfolio of private equity investments. Prior to his work in the investment industry, David served in many capacities in the U.S. Army, including assignments in the United States, South Korea and Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm.
David received a BA in Marketing and Management from the University of Washington in 1996, and an MBA from St. Martin's College, School of Business & Economics in 1998.
Erik Benson – Managing Director, Voyager Capital
Erik joined Voyager Capital in 1998 and focuses on software and digital media investments. Erik is a director on the boards of CapitalStream, Kryptiq, SEMDirector, and Trailfire. Previously, he sourced Voyager's investments in aQuantive and Verari Systems.
Prior to joining Voyager, Erik served as president of Mimix, a software and services company in the gaming and graphics industry based in Seattle. He began his career in private equity with Chemical Banking Corporation in New York City.
Erik graduated with a B.A. in Economics and concentration in Computer Science from Pacific Lutheran University and an M.B.A. with honors from Harvard Business School.
Scott Lenet – Founder and Managing Director, DFJ Frontier
Scott Lenet is a Founder and Managing Director of DFJ Frontier, a Draper Fisher Jurvetson affiliate and early stage technology venture capital fund focused on investments in the central valley and central coast of California. At Frontier, he leads fund management, fundraising and portfolio management efforts.
Scott began his venture capital career in 1992 with Geocapital Partners, where his successful investments included Netcom and Logic Works. He also has significant entrepreneurial experience in the technology industry as the founder and CEO of SmartFrog.com, acquired by Cybergold in 1999. Scott’s enterprise software experience also includes a product marketing role at Trilogy Software. In addition to his board roles as a Director for DFJ Frontier portfolio companies, Scott serves on the boards of the Sacramento Philharmonic, the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance, and the Entrepreneurship Center at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, where he is an adjunct professor.
He received his MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an AB in Comparative Literature from Princeton University.