TS

Tom Spahn

Partner @ DesignIntelligence | JD, former VC, McKinsey, Corporate Attorney, Submarine Officer

San Francisco Bay Area

Invests in

Stages:

  • Min Investment:

    $100,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $5,000,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $1,500,000.00

Education

Work Experience

  • Partner

    2022

    Founded in 1994 by Jonas Salk, discoverer of the polio vaccine, DesignIntelligence is an independent and unbiased source of knowledge and insight for leaders across the design continuum. We create experiences, research, and media that support and advance these leaders in making effective business decisions.

2018 - 2022

  • VC Principal

    2018 - 2022

    Invested in innovative real estate, construction, and infrastructure technology companies, supported fund capital raising, operations, and financial reporting, and supported portfolio company growth, including serving as a board member and observer.

2017 - 2018

  • President & COO

    2017 - 2018

    Led operations, strategy, and finance for a rapidly growing legaltech startup, which successfully built and operated a platform whereby a user could instantly pay, challenge, or arrange financing for traffic citations simply by taking a photograph of their ticket with their mobile phone.

2014 - 2017

  • Engagement Manager

    2014 - 2017

    Led engagements across multiple industries (aerospace and defense, mining, semiconductor manufacturing, renewable energy) and functional areas (operational improvement, restructuring and transformation, post-merger integration, due diligence, organizational design, strategy).

  • Attorney (Corporate, M&A)

    2011 - 2014

    Practiced corporate law, primarily mergers and acquisitions, public and private finance, securities offerings, Securities Exchange Act reporting and general corporate governance matters.

2001 - 2008

  • Nuclear Submarine Officer

    2001 - 2008

    Served in leadership roles across multiple assignments, including: division officer aboard the nuclear fast-attack submarine USS Chicago (Pearl Harbor, HI), staff officer, U.S. Third Fleet (San Diego, CA), and interagency economic development planning officer, Combined Joint Task Force - 82 (Bagram, Afghanistan).