Skip to main content

Local Venture Capitalist Speaks to Jenkins MBA Students

The Poole College of Management Jenkins MBA Finance Club hosted its first guest speaker of the year at its March 26 meeting. Bob Creeden, an accomplished venture capitalist with Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, spoke to MBA students and faculty about life and work in the investment business. Among those attending was Brian Kubis, a second year MBA student and Blackstone Fellow.

Creeden began his career in venture capital when he helped found the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation in 1989. “I think I had about 25-30 deals there,” Creeden said. “We had good companies, and we had bad ones.”

Since then, Creeden has worked in a variety of investment settings, up and down the East Coast. He helped found the Partners Innovation Fund, which was an investment arm of the Partners Healthcare system in Boston. In 2011, he was tapped to be the executive director of the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, which brought him to the Research Triangle Park region. 

The network, which was formed by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation (part of the investment giant Blackstone Group), mentors high potential startup companies in the local area.

One of those companies, Tethis Water Systems, was founded by Jenkins MBA alumnus Scott Bolin (2012), and was awarded $800,000 in financing earlier in 2013. Blackstone also recruits Jenkins MBA students, like Kubis, to serve as fellows and help with running the network.

“Working beside Bob, other veteran entrepreneurs and high-growth startups as a Blackstone Fellow has been a tremendous learning experience,” said Brian Kubis, a second year MBA student and Blackstone Fellow.

“I have been able to put to use all of the skills I've learned through the MBA program – marketing, finance, strategy, operations, supply chain, and innovation – to help entrepreneurs build their companies and products. By using a proven venture capital due diligence process, I have learned to evaluate different investment opportunities.”

In his talk with the MBA Finance Club, Creeden noted that sustained interest in and investigation of new investment opportunities, and the ability to deal with high levels of risk, are important traits of successful investors.

“If there is one thing I’ve learned in my career as a venture capitalist, it is that apathy is one of the largest competitors you’ll ever have,” Creeden said. “There is a lot of risk in this business. There are ways to become very rich, and ways to become very poor.”

Creeden also described a “day in the life” of a venture capitalist, which includes sourcing business deals, building relationships, investigating new investment opportunities and running financial analyses.

“Variety is what you do. No day is really the same,” Creeden said.

He also noted that MBA students interested in Venture Capital careers should get involved with high growth companies, develop their operational and finance skills, and build a strong network of entrepreneurs and investors.

“How I got into venture capitalism? It was pure networking, let me tell you,” Creeden said.

Creeden’s future leading the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network and mentoring MBA fellows and local companies looks bright, and he said he doesn’t plan to return to the Northeast anytime soon.

“This area (North Carolina’sResearch Triangle) is not cold. It’s not snowy. It’s great.”