SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today honored leaders of the venture capital industry for their significant contributions to advance innovation, strengthen the industry, and promote U.S. entrepreneurship at the 2019 NVCA Leadership Gala. NVCA recognized the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital Award, Outstanding Service Award, and American Spirit Award and announced the winners of the Rising Star Award, Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award, and Venture Firm of the Year Award.
“On behalf of NVCA and our board of directors, I want to congratulate the 2019 award winners for their contributions to advancing the VC industry and entrepreneurship in the U.S.,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. “For many decades, the venture capital industry has partnered with entrepreneurs to build iconic companies that have revolutionized our society and expanded the U.S. economy. At tonight’s Gala, we celebrate the venture industry and honor those who played a major role in the success of this transformative industry. Congratulations again to all of the award winners.”
The 2019 winners and finalists include:
Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital
Recipient: John Doerr, Kleiner Perkins
“John is a true icon of the venture capital industry, having been an original investor and board member at Google and Amazon, now two of the world’s most valuable companies, in addition to numerous other wildly impactful investments over an almost four-decade career,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. “In addition, John has made major contributions back to the industry through his support of entrepreneurs addressing education, climate change, and global poverty. John is a true visionary in our industry, and we are honored to present him with the Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital Award.” Read More
Outstanding Service Award
Recipient: Scott Sandell, NEA
“It should not be a surprise that Scott Sandell is receiving this year’s Outstanding Service Award, considering the magnitude of his efforts to drive positive change and his personal commitment to the industry,” said Bobby Franklin. “As a previous Chairman of NVCA, Scott was instrumental in diversifying NVCA’s Board of Directors, creating the Diversity Task Force, and making sure NVCA prioritized diversity in the VC ecosystem. Even after leaving the board, Scott has devoted considerable time and effort to developing relationships with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle in pursuit of public policy that advances the venture and startup ecosystem. We congratulate Scott for his well-deserved recognition and thank him for his outstanding contributions to our industry.” Read More
American Spirit Award
Recipient: All Raise
“It is hard to find any organization that has gathered as much fire power, in such a short amount of time, to make such a positive impact on the VC industry over the past year as All Raise,” said Bobby Franklin. “As our industry works to improve diversity and inclusion at both VC firms and portfolio companies, All Raise has been a leader in developing programs and resources to drive crucial and necessary changes in our industry so that it more accurately reflects the diversity of our society. We salute the incredible work that All Raise has done so far and look forward to all of the progress that All Raise continues to lead through its various initiatives to support entrepreneurs and investors.” Read More
Rising Star Award
Recipient: Mia Hegazy, Catalyst Investors
Finalists: Daniel Gulati, Comcast Ventures
Mia Hegazy, Catalyst Investors
Susan Liu, Scale Venture Partners
“The Rising Star Award is one of our most competitive award categories, and we were overwhelmed with nominations this year. But despite the slew of nominations, Mia’s name rose to the top during the selection process,” said Bobby Franklin. “Recognized for her strategic thinking, attention to detail, and ability to make things happen, Mia is already respected by many in our industry and widely recognized as a true rising star with a bright future in the venture industry. We are incredibly honored to recognize her with this award and look forward to seeing where her career takes her next.” Read More
Excellence in Healthcare Innovation
Recipient: Bryan Roberts, Venrock
Finalists: Jim Healy, Sofinnova Investments
Wende Hutton, Canaan Partners
Bryan Roberts, Venrock
“For over two decades, Bryan has supported transformative healthcare companies that are saving lives, improving patient care, and pushing the healthcare industry forward,” said Bobby Franklin. “Bryan’s dedication to healthcare innovation is tremendous, and we are honored to recognize him for his many achievements.” Read More
Firm of the Year
Recipient: ARCH Venture Partners
Finalists: ARCH Venture Partners
Felicis Ventures
GGV Capital
“We are honored to recognize the ARCH team as the 2019 Venture Firm of the Year,” said Bobby Franklin. “For over 30 years, ARCH has backed disruptive science and taken a truly long-term view when helping to build and grow transformative healthcare companies all over the world. Led by their founders Bob Nelsen, Keith Crandell, Clinton Bybee, and the late Steve Lazarus, the ARCH team has been a leader of our industry through their investments, their support for science and entrepreneurs, and their commitment to taking bold, imaginative risks. We congratulate them on this achievement and wish them the best of luck as they continue to lead our industry into the future.” Read More
About the Awards
Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital
The Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital Award recognizes venture professionals who have dedicated their professional lives to creating and building successful and highly competitive venture firms as well as portfolio companies that have made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the U.S. economy. Recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award were instrumental in the formation and growth of the venture capital industry and have consistently set high performance standards for the entire industry.
Previous recipients: Pete Bancroft, Bill Draper, Chuck Newhall, Mike Moritz, Mark Heesen, Arthur Rock, Sam Colella, Felda Hardymon, James Blair, Brook Byers, Jean Deleage, Anthony Evnin, Grant Heidrich, Jim Swartz, Bill Hambrecht, Sandy Robertson, Thomas Weisel, Edward Glassmeyer, Peter Crisp, Henry McCance, Paul Wythes, Lionel Pincus, Pitch Johnson, Richard Kramlich, Stanley Golder, Burton McMurtry, Reid Dennis, Peter Brooke, Thomas Perkins, Stanley Golder and David Morgenthaler.
Outstanding Service
The Outstanding Service Award recognizes the exceptional service of an NVCA Director or NVCA member who has committed an extraordinary amount of time, resources and dedication to Association efforts that in turn benefits the entire venture industry. The dedication has raised the visibility of the industry to key legislators and regulators and helped to educate them regarding the pivotal role of venture capital to this economy.
Previous recipients: Ira Ehrenpreis, Ross Jaffe, Diana Frazier, Josh Green, Kate Mitchell, Steve Frederick, Ted Schlein, Warburg Pincus, Jack Lasersohn, Sarah Reed, John Martinson, Robert Pavey, Rodney Goldstein, E. Roe Stamps, M. Kathleen Behrens, Steven Lazarus, Harry T. Rein, Patricia Cloherty, John Doerr and Christopher Brody.
American Spirit
The American Spirit Award recognizes NVCA members who have shown philanthropic leadership by applying business skills, knowledge, expertise and resources to make an outstanding contribution to society.
Previous recipients: RoseAnn Rosenthal, Ray Leach, Jeff Fagnan, Robin Richards Donohoe, William Sahlman, Peter Bancroft, Chuck Newhall, Joe Aragona, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, John Doerr, Alan Patricof, William Bowes, Peter Wendell, Floyd Kvamme, William Draper III, Martin Koldyke and Gib Myers.
Rising Star
The Rising Star Award recognizes the next generation of venture capital professionals who are rising through the ranks and establishing themselves as future standard bearers of the industry. Recipients of the award have demonstrated a mastery of venture capital investing gleaned through a relatively short amount of time in the industry and are widely recognized by their peers and others as emerging leaders of the venture capital industry.
Previous Recipients: Robin Li and Kristina Shen.
Excellence in Healthcare Innovation
For over three decades, venture capital has been at the forefront of some of the greatest advancements in medicine, pushing the boundaries of medical innovation and spurring the creation of the biotechnology and medical device industries. The Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award recognizes those who have demonstrated a clear commitment to the advancement of healthcare innovation through their investment in and support of groundbreaking medical companies that are working on treatments and cures for the most deadly and costly diseases.
Previous Recipients: Bob Nelsen and Annie Lamont.
Venture Firm of the Year
The Venture Firm of the Year Award recognizes venture capital firms for their significant contributions to advance the entrepreneurial ecosystem and generate returns for their investors. Firms receiving the award are recognized for strong fund performance and high exit multiples for recent exits as well as activities to promote entrepreneurship and create a more diverse and inclusive ecosystem.
Previous Recipients: True Ventures and Emergence Capital