Rob Schultz is a Managing Partner with Serra Ventures, an early growth stage venture capital firm. He brings over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, consultant and investor in technology companies. Rob enjoys mentoring young companies, leveraging his experience to help them get on the right track for growth. Prior to Serra Ventures, Rob was a Managing Director at Illinois Ventures and a Partner in the Illinois Emerging Technology Funds (IETF). Illinois Ventures and the IETF is a unique early stage venture firm focused on commercializing research derived innovations in the Midwest. Rob is the Founder and former CEO of DigitalWork, Inc., a SaaS marketing platform for the small business market. Rob started and grew DigitalWork from start-up through an IPO process. He raised over $65 million in venture capital to fund the growth of the business. Prior to DigitalWork, Rob was the President of Nequity, a subsidiary of Signet Bank that was acquired in 1997. Prior to Nequity, Rob was a consultant with McKinsey and Company and Deloitte and Touche. In 2000, Rob was a Year 2000 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. He was named as one of the "100 most important executives, decision-makers, financiers and idea people in the Chicago Internet community" by Crain's Chicago Business.Rob received an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago and a BA in economics from Northwestern University.