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Steve Bennet
Angel Investor, Professor and CFO
Steve Bennet is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in the technology startup ecosystem. He is the founder and managing director of Bodega Partners, an active Angel Investor, a Professor of Entrepreneurship, and a part-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for various startups.14
Professional Background
- Angel Investing: Over the past 20 years, Bennet has been a CFO, investor, and/or board member for more than 50 technology startups, primarily in the software, Internet, and mobile sectors.1
- Teaching: Since 1995, he has taught entrepreneurial finance and is currently an adjunct faculty member at San Jose State University.14
- Venture Capital: Bennet was previously a Venture Partner at Outlook Ventures and a Board Member of Sand Hill Angels.1
- Corporate Experience: He held various financial and management positions at Bay Logics, Digital Microwave, and Arthur Andersen.1
Education and Expertise
- Undergraduate degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania1
- MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA1
- Expertise in entrepreneurial finance, venture capital, and startup operations14
Current Roles
- Founder and Managing Director of Bodega Partners13
- Professor of Entrepreneurship at San Jose State University24
- Angel Investor with a focus on early-stage technology startups3
- Part-time CFO for various startups4
Investment Profile
- Investment range: $5K - $50K, with a sweet spot of $25K3
- Sector focus: Technology startups, particularly in software, Internet, and mobile13
- Notable investments: OLSET, Teliportme, Appstores.com3
Steve Bennet is known for his deep involvement in the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial ecosystem, his teaching activities, and his ability to provide valuable insights to startups as both an investor and a financial advisor.14
Highlights
I recently joined the Scholar Match Board of Directors as their mission to provide mentoring and scholarships to low income first generation students is a perfect match with my work at San Jose State University (recent picture above with some of my former students). Scholar Match was founded by author Dave Eggers as after school homework club in San Francisco's Mission District. He quickly realized that these students needed much more support than assistance with high school classes and added a crowdfunding platform for scholarships and subsequently evolved into a full serve college access and persistent program. Having taught many first generation low income students, I strongly believe that a successful college education helps somewhat level the playing field and the more support offered increases the likelihood of graduation and early career success.
Please help me support ScholarMatch by making a donation through my page. The process is fast, easy and secure. Thanks so much for your support... and please don't forget to send this page to any friends you think might be interested in donating!
https://lnkd.in/gkr_FY5Z
Karla V. Salazar Julie Angulo
We are hosting a free event at San Jose State University this Wednesday on Investing in Student Startups. I will be moderating the event featuring 🚀 Mercedes Bankston and Alexander Zorychta. We will be announcing a new program to invest in student, faculty, and alumni startups. The Spartan Angel Network will be supporting SJSU startups with capital and mentorship with investment returns donated to the university endowment. I am chair of the fund and we are looking for additional founding members interesting in joining us in our philanthropic venture capital journey.
Signup link for the event is in the QR code below or at bit.ly/startups2024
Rangapriya (Priya) Kannan, Anu Basu, Mohamed Abousalem, Michael Ashley, Abby Queale
