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Michael Skok

Founding Partner at Underscore VC, Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School

Michael Skok: Founding Partner at Underscore VC and Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School

Michael Skok is a serial entrepreneur turned investor with over two decades of experience in each role. He is currently a Founding Partner at Underscore VC and an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School.

Key Facts about Michael Skok:

  • Founding Partner at Underscore VC, a venture capital firm focused on breakthrough technologies and disruptive business models1
  • Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School since September 2022, where he engages with students and faculty on entrepreneurship12
  • Previously a General Partner at North Bridge Venture Partners for 12 years1
  • Entrepreneur and CEO for 21 years, founding and leading multiple software companies from concept to acquisition, such as AlphaBlox (acquired by IBM) and Symantec UK1
  • Serves on the boards of several private and public companies, including Acquia, Demandware, and Salsify1
  • Passionate about mentoring and developing the next generation of founders and leaders, teaching "Startup Secrets" worldwide1
  • Co-leads the Future of Open Source and Future of Cloud Computing industry collaborations1

Michael Skok's LinkedIn username is mjskok.1

Highlights

Mar 6 · linkedin

🙏 to the founders that give us our jobs, to the entrepreneurs who build the value, to the LPs who have partnered with us since day one and to the Boston ecosystem that has welcomed us so warmly. The next generation is going to be even stronger.

A heartfelt personal thank you to Lily Lyman, Richard Dulude, Chris Gardner,James Orsillo, Brian Devaney,Jenni Goodman, Devin Nash, Claire Crowther and Renee V.. You and our Core Community are the deserved future of Underscore VC.

I’ll never forget where we came from and my posthumous sincerest appreciation goes out to John Pearce and his wife and family who always stood with him and us all from the start.

Feb 3 · linkedin

Can a free book change your life?  Want one that I believe just might?

"Infectious Generosity" by Chris Anderson, head of TED Conferences has already changed my life. I've never written a book review, so instead, I'll just share that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I listened and read it cover to cover in 24 compelling hours. Yes, it was that good. I started listening to it on Audible and was so inspired that I had to download the Kindle Scribe version to take notes on it. Yet I haven't even begun to ponder its potential. But you can help:

I'm giving away 50 copies to the first people who request one, sharing their email in the comments. My only ask is that you actually read it!

If you're infected with any measure of generosity, no matter how small, thank you. You've just been generous to at least two people - me and whoever you shared your infected generosity with.

If you're further moved to share your thoughts about the book, please just post a comment here on LinkedIn.

If you're even more infected, please offer or give away another copy to someone who you think will "get it", perhaps with a note on why you're thinking of them. That, in itself, is an act of generosity. As Chris points out so beautifully in chapter 6 of the book, these simple acts of kindness are "open to everyone."

Regardless, thanks for reading this. Enjoy the gift we all have - the freedom to make a difference by simply being present with someone you care for, or at the other extreme just smiling at a stranger.

Happy Saturday 😁

Related Questions

What are some of the key projects Michael Skok has worked on at Harvard Business School?
How did Michael Skok transition from being a serial entrepreneur to an investor?
What is the "Startup Secrets" series that Michael Skok teaches at Harvard Business School?
Can you provide examples of companies Michael Skok has invested in and their outcomes?
What are Michael Skok's main focuses at Underscore VC?
Michael Skok
Michael Skok, photo 1
Michael Skok, photo 2
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Location

Boston, Massachusetts, United States