About Me
Stephen DeWitt - Founding Partner
After more than 40 years of building leading tech companies, I'm excited to share my entrepreneurial passion and operating experience by helping others create the next generation of great companies. My approach to leadership coaching is designed to empower individuals and teams with the tools they need to succeed. Let's discuss today how I can support your growth, help you navigate the challenges of early-stage companies, and set you on a solid path to success and profitability. If you're an investor, let me assist you with your diligence and help your portfolio executives reach their full potential. Having spent years building companies in process automation, AI/ML, DevOps, and enterprise systems and infrastructure, I can help you frame the market opportunity, the technical horizons ahead, and the contending visions of the future.
My Background
I've spent my career building category-defining companies in Silicon Valley, New York, Ohio, and Canada. I've had the opportunity to lead multiple market-making start-ups as CEO. I've raised hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and been a buyer and seller of dozens of businesses. Even led a company through a historic IPO and a multi-billion dollar exit. Each opportunity was unique and each a journey of fulfillment. I've also served as a senior executive at industry leaders such as Symantec, Sun, Cisco, and Hewlett-Packard during periods of massive technological and business model transformation. I'm a Chicagoan by roots and grew up between there and Ohio. I'm a graduate of Babson College in Massachusetts. I'm the son of a serial entrepreneur and father to some wonderful children.
My Approach
I've had the great privilege of working with amazing people through the years. Every day, I've learned from them and from leaders and mentors who embraced the intensity of the technology industry and were pioneers. I take being an advisor and coach very seriously. Whether it's working with a first-time CEO or management team, or collaborating with a group of seasoned veterans, aligning with outcomes is critical —and it's not easy. My goal in working with all my clients is to help them facilitate this critical alignment. Often, this results from a challenging and personal process where the company's vision/mission, commercial realities, and time come into conflict with one another. Every business is different, and as such, there is no secret formula. Many of my favorite engagements are simply about providing the CEO with a set of experienced operational ears to help them drive their agenda.