I’ve always been drawn to the energy and thrill of working in an early-stage company. There’s just something about those growth days — full of grit, comradery, and reward. It’s this interest that led me to ExactTarget, where I served as CMO for 6+ years through the company’s IPO and sale to Salesforce for $2.7B in 2013.
Following the exit, that same feeling led me to angel investing across the midwest, which allowed me to back some of the region’s best entrepreneurs and early-stage supporters at Hyde Park Venture Partners (HPVP), where I’ve now served as a Partner for five years. It’s been a remarkable experience — I’ve learned immensely, and worked alongside the best group of VCs and founders imaginable. While I love venture, I’ve always been most motivated by working directly with the entrepreneurs and operators within our portfolio.
Now, as we get bigger and continue to scale, our firm must evolve. Just like the companies we back, we must push upward. So, I’m continuing as a General Partner role at HPVP while running one of our portfolio companies, Terminus, as full-time Exec Chairman and CEO. For the past 6 months, I’ve been running point as Executive Chairman and now is the time to hit the gas and go to the next level.
As a General Partner at HPVP, I remain actively involved in the firm and ecosystem. Our Indianapolis office remains open, and I’ll continue working with the team on major firm decisions, pursuing investment opportunities, and remain involved with the company boards I sit on.
I couldn’t be more bullish on the opportunity ahead for Terminus. I’ve been involved from the beginning — when Terminus literally created the Account-Based Marketing ABM category — and remain in awe of the milestones the company has accomplished over such a short period of time. Just this year, Terminus was named Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces for the third consecutive year, the leader in G2’s Account-Based Execution category for the sixth quarter in a row, in addition to being ranked №21 on Deloitte’s 2019 Technology Fast 500. And, that’s just the start!
Simply put, I believe ABM is the next frontier of marketing automation. It’s the biggest opportunity I’ve seen in B2B marketing in the last decade. I am continually inspired and impressed by the Terminus Nation and am thrilled to be on the journey with the team. Our market is moving quickly and we have a massive opportunity to build something special — to capture that opportunity will be a big win for both Hyde Park Venture Partners and Terminus.
So, cheers to the growth days and what’s ahead for both HPVP and Terminus!
