About Philadelphia
Investors’ Circle Philadelphia provides capital and strategic counsel to early-stage companies in the Philadelphia region that are focused on solving meaningful social or environmental challenges. We are a proud Investors’ Circle local network.
- Cliff David, President
- Tom Balderston, Vice President
- John Moore, Treasurer
- Jacob Gray, Secretary
- David Reuter, Screening Committee
- John Moore, Diligence Committee
- Jacob Gray, Membership Committee
- Christopher Bentley, Program Manager
- Christy Bare, Operations and Marketing Intern
Clifford C. David is President of Conservation Economics Enterprises, a division of Heritage Conservancy. In his new role, his focus is on monetizing the land, buildings, and intellectual property of Heritage Conservancy. Cliff is also CEO of Cirsium LLC, a company positioned to develop and manage sustainable real estate. Prior to this venture, Cliff worked for over 20 years at Heritage Conservancy, a regional land trust preserving natural and historic structures throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and Western New Jersey. His focus on combining non-profit mission and for-profit financial incentives has allowed for the creative conservation of multiple natural resources. Cliff received a B.A. in Psychology from Bucknell University, a B.S. in Botany from the University of Vermont, and an M.S. in Organization and Management from Antioch University.
Tom Balderston is the President of Balderston Capital and a Managing Director of Sustain VC, LLC, which is the GP of the Patient Capital Collaborative series of early stage impact investing funds. He has been helping to build and manage diverse venture capital portfolios for 25 years, and has been a general partner, limited partner, and angel investor in the area's private equity opportunities. Tom served as President and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Capital Alliance for three years ending in 2009. In addition to his role as a board member at the national Investors’ Circle organization, he also serves on numerous private company and non-profit Boards and fund advisory committees. Tom received a B.A. from Williams College and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.
John Moore is a Managing Partner of Robin Hood Ventures, an angel investing group in Philadelphia. Prior to working at Robin Hood, John worked at Seton Company as the Controller for North, Central, and South America. Seton Company is among the world's largest suppliers of automotive leather. Before becoming Controller, John was the Special Projects Manager where he did business acquisition and development, product pricing, and the implementation of company-wide strategic initiatives. In addition to his work with Seton, John spent eight years developing cardiovascular catheters for B. Braun Medical, Inc. John holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware and an M.B.A. from Drexel University.
Jacob Gray is co-Founder and Managing Partner of Murex Investments, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on learning technology and financial mobility for base of the pyramid markets. Jacob has ten years of experience in marketing and strategy, and has served as lead or co-lead on 17 venture capital transactions, including successful investment in the learning technology and digital media industries. Before joining Murex, Jacob directed a Philadelphia-based incubator serving more than 50 incubated companies. Jacob is a Founder and Board member of GoodCompany Ventures, a Philadelphia-based incubator for high-growth start-up businesses. Jacob earned his B.A. from Brown University.
David Reuter is a Partner with LLR Partners Inc., a private equity firm with over $1.4 billion under management. LLR Partners helps talented entrepreneurs grow their businesses by providing capital, strategic counsel, and access to an extensive business network. David specializes in technology and business services investments. Prior to LLR, David held accounting and consulting positions with Arthur Andersen. David holds a B.S. in Business and Economics from Lehigh University, where he graduated with honors. David serves on the Board of Directors of Urban Blazers Foundation.
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