Why Venture Capital?
My passion for entrepreneurship started at age fourteen at my summer job detailing used cars at an Oklahoma City automobile dealership. On the side, I bought old cars at auction, cleaned and fixed them up, and sold them on the lot. This passion continued throughout my career, including starting a private equity-backed investment and development firm in 2003. Most recently, I spent ten years as a partner in a $13 billion private equity firm, supporting dozens of entrepreneurial management teams, many of whom were starting their first company. In co-founding Starboard Star, I wanted to build a firm that was deeply personal and pragmatic in its approach with founders. We aspire to combine the best of the old and new—the craft of early stage investing while developing new ways for companies to achieve efficient growth.
I have a passion for working with entrepreneurs in a constructive manner, using my experience and extensive network in support of their efforts. My favorite example in this regard was recruiting, funding and serving on the board of Medallion Midstream, a “start from scratch” management team which in five years was built up and sold for $1.825 billion.
Experience
Prior to forming Starboard Star, I spent 25 years in the energy sector. From 2008-2018, I served as Managing Director of the Energy & Minerals Group, a private investment firm that invests primarily in the energy industry, where my primary focus was making direct investments across the natural resources industry. During that period, I served on the Board of Directors of MarkWest Liberty, NGL Energy Partners, Medallion Midstream, Lodestar Energy, and High Sierra Energy. Prior to joining EMG, a group of former colleagues and I started Bear Energy, LP, where I served as Managing Director from 2005-2008, From 2003-2005, I was the co-founder and Managing Partner of Tiger Midstream, where we developed natural gas pipelines and evaluated over $1 billion in energy midstream investment opportunities. Prior to forming Tiger Midstream, I worked at Calpine Corporation from 2001-2002, and at Houston Pipeline Company from 1995-2000, where I led and completed the $727 million sale of HPL to American Electric Power Company.
Education
- MBA, Rice University Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business
- B.A., The University of Oklahoma, Letters
Outside of Work
I am a huge supporter of the arts, particularly contemporary painting, sculpture and drawing. My wife and I spend a great deal of our free time at museums, galleries and artists’ studios in Houston, Austin, and on both coasts. Akin to collaborating with entrepreneurs, I love discovering and working with new artists and helping support their efforts. In the entrepreneurial startup vein, my wife and I helped plant a new church in Houston’s Heights neighborhood. I also enjoy reading, particularly 20th century history.
