DAVE RICHARDS

Conflict of Interest Committee Chair

Principal, Bodega Ventures

 
Dave Richards enjoys being involved in innovative organizations that are trying to make breakthroughs into new markets and through paradigm shifts. As an executive, he has led businesses at RealNetworks, Sybase, and Symantec in new, high-growth technology and digital media markets. Currently, he is the president of DigWorks, a new digital entertainment studio startup.

Dave cares deeply about practical ways to end extreme poverty sooner. He has a passion for discovering scalable and sustainable approaches to breaking the scourge of poverty, which he writes about on his blog, defeatpoverty.com. He is particularly interested in the power of commercial approaches to more rapidly breakdown generational cycles of poverty, and sees great hope for well-implemented microfinance systems. Dave is also involved as a board member of VCC/Turning Point, a faith-based startup providing community-based social services; as a partner with Social Venture Partners, a venture-based approach to growing the nonprofit sector; and as the co-founder and board chair of Off The Map, a nonprofit focused on developing otherlyness, the spirituality of serving.

Dave has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia with a major in finance and minor in computer science. Dave and his wife, Sharon, are the proud parents of three children and reside in Seattle.