Board Members

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  John Burke – General Partner, True Ventures

  John’s passion for building and growing companies began 22 years ago during his days as an engineer for a startup in Oakland, California. As the fourth employee, it was as clear to him then as it is now that it is all about the team. The guiding principle of team has stayed with him throughout his career – first on the programming team in California, then as an engineer for Bechtel Power in San Francisco, and ultimately as a venture investor. However, nowhere was the team principle more important to him than when he started his software company.

  John lived through the balancing act of building his own company at BMI Software. There, the constant challenges of deciding who to hire and when to hire them, who to partner with and (of equal importance) who not to partner with fostered essential values that he carries with him today. The overarching importance of working with the right team has been seared into John’s professional life and investing philosophy. For a startup, there are no more important decisions than partnering – whether in business development, selecting the right venture investor, or hiring and firing employees. Having lived through those decisions and having made the mistakes that can be so painful, John is able to guide his portfolio companies through the difficult times with a deftness that only those years of operating experience bring.

  Equally important as partners and employees of a startup are the partners in a venture firm. Phil Black and John Burke have been partners since 1999, when they both joined ABS Ventures. Having worked together that long, there is an implicit trust that only years together can build. Phil Black and Jon Callaghan have either worked together or invested together for almost 17 years. These bonds that hold the True partnership together have taken years to forge, and the results of which are evident in the partner interaction and woven into the fabric of the firm.

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  Howard Rosenberg – CEO

  Howard joined eBay in 2002 and was most recently General Manager of the Private Marketplace business, which he launched in mid-2004. Howard has helped a variety of enterprise customers liquidate approximately $700 million in excess inventory in bulk lot, online auctions. His experience includes launching more than 20 marketplaces for a wide variety of customers. Howard spent 4 years on the Advisory Board of the Reverse Logistics Association and has been a frequent speaker on techniques to optimize liquidation recovery at the annual RLA conference.

  Prior to launching the Private Marketplace business, he was an early member of the team that built eBay Motors where he focused on business development. Prior to joining eBay, Howard was founder and CEO of a web-based, user generated, online video service offering its members access to a library of independent films streaming on-demand. He raised $3 million of venture funding and ran this company for 18 months before selling it to Hollywood Media (NASDAQ: “HOLL”). Prior to that, he was a venture capitalist with Rosewood Capital investing in branded product manufacturers, business services, retail, restaurants, and e-commerce companies. He was involved in the investment of approximately $70 million in consumer companies. Prior to joining Rosewood, Howard spent 2 years at the Blackstone Group in New York. He holds dual degrees with honors in Economics from The University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.