Don Rainey is a venture capitalist with a long and active relationship in the academic arena as both a professor and mentor. Don’s area of investment expertise centers around Internet and social media-related startups. He is a prolific blogger and frequent contributor to various business and VC trade publications including BusinessInsider and VentureBeat. 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP
After a long history of success in technology management positions, Don made the move into venture capital in 2000, first with Intersouth Partners, and currently with Grotech Ventures, which he joined as a general partner in September 2007. With over $1B US under management, Grotech focuses on early-stage information technology companies, based predominately in the greater DC area. Don currently serves on the boards of Grotech portfolio companies Clarabridge, Booker, HelloWallet, LivingSocial, Personal, SnappCloud, and Zenoss. 


In 2010, Don was appointed to a third term as an emerging technology consultant to the Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) through the DeVenCi Program. This public/private initiative consists of a handful of venture capitalists who volunteer their time to research and nominate companies that they feel can help answer the DoD’s unmet technology needs.