I am an investor who used to be a startup founder. As a Managing Director with Aventurine, I am looking to invest early in companies with strong IP based on breakthrough technology. My background:I co-founded my first company, BraveTree, in 2001. At BraveTree, we developed multi-player games for the web and for XBox Live Arcade. During this time, I was also very active in the independent game development community, acting as an evangelist for independent games, blogging and speaking at independent game conferences.We sold BraveTree to it's publisher, GarageGames in 2005. I was brought on to join the executive team at GarageGames to build a team focused on developing our own internal games and IP, and work with the Engine Products team to extend the lines of our educational products. I managed the game division of the company, including management of our 3rd party games portfolio.I helped to grow that company until it was acquired by IAC in 2007. I stayed on after the merger to help manage the transition and explosive growth that followed, finally leaving in 2009 to pursue other interests. I then turned my focus to community development work, working to elevate activity in the technology sector in Oregon while working as a consultant to various early stage startups.I co-founded a biotech incubator, and was then asked to stand up an accelerator program as part of a state funded initiative called RAIN (the Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network)As Managing Director of the RAIN Eugene Accelerator and Executive Director of the associated non-profit, RAIN Eugene, I created programs to help foster creation of high growth companies in Oregon and accelerate the state's transition from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy.I then transitioned my activities to the creation of the Coast to Crest Fund. At Coast to Crest, we provided capital to high growth startups at the earliest stages. After Coast to Crest went into harvest mode (we are no longer actively investing) - I joined the Aventurine Capital Group to raise a fund to invest in early stage technology heavy startups that can be monetized through IP licensing. I am the Managing Director of the studio initiatives, that will provide the support structures for our portfolio companies.