Dave Blakely
EVP of Mach49 Growth Institute
As EVP of Mach49’s Growth Institute, Dave leverages his time with two successful startups and innovation firm IDEO, and his background as an instructor at Stanford and UC Berkeley, to cultivate dynamic new paradigms of training and distance learning, to transform a global network of professionals into successful venture builders and venture investors. He loves working with small interdisciplinary teams to build businesses that were not imaginable just 5 or 10 years ago, and lives for the magical moments when those teams foresee the implications of technical advances and visualize truly new opportunities.
In the late ‘90s, Dave played an integral part in the movement that expanded the reach of Design Thinking, going beyond just physical product design to include the design of services, experiences, and businesses. This shift didn't just alter how big organizations disrupt growth — it also laid the groundwork for new, disruptive changes in government and academia. Since then, Dave has committed himself to changing how large corporations operate.
In his career, Dave has been a successful angel investor, served on boards of directors and advisory boards for new startups, and helped launch two new businesses — a scientific instruments company and an enterprise software company — both of which had successful exits. As a member of top leadership at IDEO, most recently as Managing Director of Technology Strategy, Dave led teams around the world to create new ventures for industry giants like Cisco and Johns Hopkins. Using his degrees in engineering physics and mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, Dave also built and led a successful business unit called Smart Products, which focused exclusively on electromechanical systems with embedded controls. A true technologist, Dave holds 6 patents from his work in electromechanical engineering.
Upon joining Mach49, Dave discovered a space where he could fully tap into all his life experiences — from his technical skills and business savvy to his understanding of global socio-economic issues. His role at Mach49 allows him to mentor intrapreneurs, emboldening them to shake up the status quo, dream up and deliver on disruptive products and services, and foster a culture of entrepreneurship within their own organizations.
Dave works to always be completely present in whatever he’s doing. When he's working, he's 100% present for his clients, and when he's spending time with friends and family, work is the last thing on his mind. As a husband and father, he cherishes his tight-knit group of friends and is deeply involved in his local community.
In the late ‘90s, Dave played an integral part in the movement that expanded the reach of Design Thinking, going beyond just physical product design to include the design of services, experiences, and businesses. This shift didn't just alter how big organizations disrupt growth — it also laid the groundwork for new, disruptive changes in government and academia. Since then, Dave has committed himself to changing how large corporations operate.
In his career, Dave has been a successful angel investor, served on boards of directors and advisory boards for new startups, and helped launch two new businesses — a scientific instruments company and an enterprise software company — both of which had successful exits. As a member of top leadership at IDEO, most recently as Managing Director of Technology Strategy, Dave led teams around the world to create new ventures for industry giants like Cisco and Johns Hopkins. Using his degrees in engineering physics and mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, Dave also built and led a successful business unit called Smart Products, which focused exclusively on electromechanical systems with embedded controls. A true technologist, Dave holds 6 patents from his work in electromechanical engineering.
Upon joining Mach49, Dave discovered a space where he could fully tap into all his life experiences — from his technical skills and business savvy to his understanding of global socio-economic issues. His role at Mach49 allows him to mentor intrapreneurs, emboldening them to shake up the status quo, dream up and deliver on disruptive products and services, and foster a culture of entrepreneurship within their own organizations.
Dave works to always be completely present in whatever he’s doing. When he's working, he's 100% present for his clients, and when he's spending time with friends and family, work is the last thing on his mind. As a husband and father, he cherishes his tight-knit group of friends and is deeply involved in his local community.
Media Publications
- The Founder to Founder podcast: Disrupting InsideOut, Appropriate Failure, and the Value of Mentors
- Peru Venture Capital Conference 2017: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
- http://daveblakely.com Dave’s blog on technology and culture, including articles about how emerging technology coupled with reason, an open exchange of ideas, humility, and tolerance can help us address global challenges and build a better world for ourselves and our children.
Dave Blakely
EVP of Mach49 Growth Institute
As EVP of Mach49’s Growth Institute, Dave leverages his time with two successful startups and innovation firm IDEO, and his background as an instructor at Stanford and UC Berkeley, to cultivate dynamic new paradigms of training and distance learning, to transform a global network of professionals into successful venture builders and venture investors. He loves working with small interdisciplinary teams to build businesses that were not imaginable just 5 or 10 years ago, and lives for the magical moments when those teams foresee the implications of technical advances and visualize truly new opportunities.
In the late ‘90s, Dave played an integral part in the movement that expanded the reach of Design Thinking, going beyond just physical product design to include the design of services, experiences, and businesses. This shift didn't just alter how big organizations disrupt growth — it also laid the groundwork for new, disruptive changes in government and academia. Since then, Dave has committed himself to changing how large corporations operate.
In his career, Dave has been a successful angel investor, served on boards of directors and advisory boards for new startups, and helped launch two new businesses — a scientific instruments company and an enterprise software company — both of which had successful exits. As a member of top leadership at IDEO, most recently as Managing Director of Technology Strategy, Dave led teams around the world to create new ventures for industry giants like Cisco and Johns Hopkins. Using his degrees in engineering physics and mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, Dave also built and led a successful business unit called Smart Products, which focused exclusively on electromechanical systems with embedded controls. A true technologist, Dave holds 6 patents from his work in electromechanical engineering.
Upon joining Mach49, Dave discovered a space where he could fully tap into all his life experiences — from his technical skills and business savvy to his understanding of global socio-economic issues. His role at Mach49 allows him to mentor intrapreneurs, emboldening them to shake up the status quo, dream up and deliver on disruptive products and services, and foster a culture of entrepreneurship within their own organizations.
Dave works to always be completely present in whatever he’s doing. When he's working, he's 100% present for his clients, and when he's spending time with friends and family, work is the last thing on his mind. As a husband and father, he cherishes his tight-knit group of friends and is deeply involved in his local community.
In the late ‘90s, Dave played an integral part in the movement that expanded the reach of Design Thinking, going beyond just physical product design to include the design of services, experiences, and businesses. This shift didn't just alter how big organizations disrupt growth — it also laid the groundwork for new, disruptive changes in government and academia. Since then, Dave has committed himself to changing how large corporations operate.
In his career, Dave has been a successful angel investor, served on boards of directors and advisory boards for new startups, and helped launch two new businesses — a scientific instruments company and an enterprise software company — both of which had successful exits. As a member of top leadership at IDEO, most recently as Managing Director of Technology Strategy, Dave led teams around the world to create new ventures for industry giants like Cisco and Johns Hopkins. Using his degrees in engineering physics and mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, Dave also built and led a successful business unit called Smart Products, which focused exclusively on electromechanical systems with embedded controls. A true technologist, Dave holds 6 patents from his work in electromechanical engineering.
Upon joining Mach49, Dave discovered a space where he could fully tap into all his life experiences — from his technical skills and business savvy to his understanding of global socio-economic issues. His role at Mach49 allows him to mentor intrapreneurs, emboldening them to shake up the status quo, dream up and deliver on disruptive products and services, and foster a culture of entrepreneurship within their own organizations.
Dave works to always be completely present in whatever he’s doing. When he's working, he's 100% present for his clients, and when he's spending time with friends and family, work is the last thing on his mind. As a husband and father, he cherishes his tight-knit group of friends and is deeply involved in his local community.
Media Publications
- The Founder to Founder podcast: Disrupting InsideOut, Appropriate Failure, and the Value of Mentors
- Peru Venture Capital Conference 2017: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
- http://daveblakely.com Dave’s blog on technology and culture, including articles about how emerging technology coupled with reason, an open exchange of ideas, humility, and tolerance can help us address global challenges and build a better world for ourselves and our children.
