AcademicWorks (aka Blackbaud Award Management)
I'm an Austin-based entrepreneur. I've spent most of my career working on start-ups with a particular focus on #EdTech SaaS companies. I co-founded AcademicWorks, which provides cloud-based software to help colleges, universities, and community foundations manage their scholarship processes while increasing donor engagement. We help ensure that these institutions use all their scholarship funds while honoring their donors' wishes. That's a fancy way of saying that we help encourage the virtuous cycle ensuring that scholarship dollars are used to help kids pay for college while recognizing the donors for their impact and contribution so that they and their friends will be inclined to help more students.
In April 2017, AcademicWorks was acquired by Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) and is now known as Blackbaud Award Management.
Since leaving AcademicWorks, I work with early stage start-ups in Austin, including Earthly Labs and Crave Retail, of which I am an investor and advisor. In December 2021, Earthly Labs was acquired by Chart Industries (NYSE: GTLS).
Outside of entrepreneurial endeavors, you'll usually find me running around Lady Bird Lake or fighting my way through a marathon with Nutella to make up for the homebrew I just finished. You're also likely see me at an Entrepreneurs' Organization event, which always seems to be filled with really fantastic and inspiring people.
I enjoy ideation and commiserating with fellow start-up folks, whether that be sharing war stories or serving as an advisor to a burgeoning new company. If you think I can be of assistance, look me up and drop me a line, or stop in and see me at my Entrepreneur-in-Residence office hours at The Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship.