Dave Whorton

Dave Whorton Email and Phone Number

Founder & CEO, Tugboat Institute | Champion of Evergreen Companies @ Tugboat Institute
Dave Whorton's Location
Sun Valley, Idaho, United States, United States
Dave Whorton's Contact Details
About Dave Whorton

Dave Whorton is passionate about purpose-driven companies that prioritize long-term shared success and people-first values and practices. At sixteen, Dave began his first job at Hewlett-Packard, working alongside manufacturing line workers at three divisions over four summers. It wasn’t until later in his career that he would come to realize the profound influence of HP's founders and their "HP Way," which sparked his dedication to serving businesses like early HP.Early in his career he founded four companies including Good Technology and Drugstore.com and worked for stints at top venture capital and private equity firms, KPCB, TPG, and Interwest. During this time, he witnessed the VC industry pivot from a proven forty-year playbook of managing risk with staged, reasonable financing to something much more aggressive: Get-big-fast, which later evolved into growth-at-all-costs. The lack of any profit discipline and manic pressure to grow didn’t feel right to him after being on the other side of it with Good, but he didn’t perceive an alternative… yet, that is. A pivotal conversation opened his eyes to a different kind of founder - seasoned entrepreneurs who were building profitable, innovative, people-first businesses that were designed to last beyond their lifetimes as independent, thriving businesses with no plans for an exit or IPO. Dave set off on a journey of interviewing a number of these entrepreneurs, and later included non-founder CEOs —eventually over 300. He loved their persistence and purposefulness, and came to see that many embraced the culture and values very similar to those he so deeply admired in his teenage years at HP. Yet, he found that these companies were often underappreciated and underserved, and ignored by the media and business schools due to having no plans to raise VC or PE on the defacto growth path to an IPO or sale.In 2013, Dave founded the Tugboat Institute to support and connect these leaders, coining the term "Evergreen companies" to describe businesses that are purpose-driven, privately owned, profitable, growing, and committed to lasting shared success. Today, Dave Whorton is a thought leader in the Evergreen movement, unifying, curating ideas, and encouraging a growing community of entrepreneurs and business leaders who are starting and growing companies that will positively impact our world for generations to come.Dave has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford. Dave enjoys spending time between innovative Silicon Valley and mindful Sun Valley, Idaho.

Dave Whorton's Current Company Details
Tugboat Institute

Tugboat Institute

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Founder & CEO, Tugboat Institute | Champion of Evergreen Companies
Dave Whorton Work Experience Details
  • Tugboat Institute
    Ceo & Founder
    Tugboat Institute Oct 2013 - Present
    Sun Valley, Id, Us
    Tugboat Institute, a membership organization, brings together Evergreen CEOs across industry sectors to share best practices and unique insights, and to develop trusted bonds for their respective Evergreen paths. In addition, Tugboat Institute certifies Evergreen companies.Evergreen leaders are seasoned entrepreneurs, CEOs and presidents with the vision, creativity, resourcefulness, patience and grit to build and scale a business that will stay private indefinitely. We exist to support these leaders and their companies.
  • The Tugboat Group
    Ceo & Founder
    The Tugboat Group Jan 2006 - Present
    Sun Valley, Id, Us
    The Tugboat Group began as Tugboat Ventures in 2006, and expanded with the founding of Tugboat Institute in 2013.The Tugboat Group’s purpose is to re-introduce the vital importance of humans coming together to create and grow lasting, innovative businesses that make a dent in the universe.
  • Argyros Performing Arts Center
    Trustee
    Argyros Performing Arts Center Jul 2018 - Present
    Ketchum, Id, Us
  • Repairpal
    Board Of Directors
    Repairpal Nov 2009 - Present
    San Francisco, California, Us
  • Savvymoney
    Board Of Directors
    Savvymoney Aug 2009 - Present
  • Sun Valley Community School
    Trustee
    Sun Valley Community School Jul 2019 - Apr 2022
    Sun Valley, Idaho, Us
  • Education Elements
    Member Board Of Directors
    Education Elements Jan 2011 - Feb 2020
  • Newschools Venture Fund
    Founding Board Of Directors
    Newschools Venture Fund Jun 1998 - Jul 2015
    Oakland, Ca, Us
  • Charter Cities
    Founding Board Of Directors
    Charter Cities Sep 2008 - Aug 2014
  • Successfactors
    Board Of Directors
    Successfactors May 2003 - Jan 2011
    South San Francisco, California, Us
  • Business Signatures, Inc
    Board Of Directors
    Business Signatures, Inc Mar 2004 - Aug 2006
    Us
  • Texas Pacific Group Ventures
    Managing Director
    Texas Pacific Group Ventures Jan 2003 - Dec 2005
    San Francisco, California, Us
  • Cranium, Inc
    Board Of Directors
    Cranium, Inc May 2003 - Sep 2005
    Us
  • Good Technology, Inc
    Founder, Ceo And Chairman
    Good Technology, Inc Jan 2000 - Jun 2003
    Sunnyvale, Ca, Us
  • Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
    Associate Partner
    Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Apr 1997 - Apr 2000
    Menlo Park, Ca, Us
  • Drugstore.Com
    Cofounder
    Drugstore.Com May 1997 - Aug 1998
    Bellevue, Washington, Us
  • Interwest Partners
    Associate
    Interwest Partners Mar 1994 - Jun 1995
    San Francisco Bay Area, Us
  • Optical Engineering Inc
    General Manager And President
    Optical Engineering Inc Aug 1991 - Dec 1993
  • Bain & Company
    Consultant
    Bain & Company Apr 1989 - Aug 1991
    Boston, Ma, Us
  • Hewlett Packard
    Various Projects And Internships
    Hewlett Packard Jun 1983 - Aug 1986
    Houston, Texas, Us

Dave Whorton Skills

Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Start Ups Strategic Partnerships Strategy Leadership Product Management Business Strategy Management Saas Executive Management Angel Investing Corporate Development Go To Market Strategy E Commerce Enterprise Software Mobile Devices Mergers And Acquisitions Cloud Computing Mobile Applications Product Marketing Mergers Investments Private Equity Venture Financing Social Entrepreneurship Organizational Development

Dave Whorton Education Details

  • Stanford University Graduate School Of Business
    Stanford University Graduate School Of Business
    Mba
  • University Of California, Berkeley
    University Of California, Berkeley
    Mechanical Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Whorton

What company does Dave Whorton work for?

Dave Whorton works for Tugboat Institute

What is Dave Whorton's role at the current company?

Dave Whorton's current role is Founder & CEO, Tugboat Institute | Champion of Evergreen Companies.

What is Dave Whorton's email address?

Dave Whorton's email address is dw****@****res.com

What is Dave Whorton's direct phone number?

Dave Whorton's direct phone number is +165047*****

What schools did Dave Whorton attend?

Dave Whorton attended Stanford University Graduate School Of Business, University Of California, Berkeley.

What are some of Dave Whorton's interests?

Dave Whorton has interest in Saas, Mobile, Cloud Computing, Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software, Deep Information Technology.

What skills is Dave Whorton known for?

Dave Whorton has skills like Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Start Ups, Strategic Partnerships, Strategy, Leadership, Product Management, Business Strategy, Management, Saas, Executive Management, Angel Investing.

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