David Drake (venture capitalist)

David Drake (born September 1, 1970) is a venture capitalist (VC) and was a leading advocate for the JOBS Act, which paved the way for the growth of the equity-crowdfunding industry in the United States. In 2013 Drake was invited to the White House to witness the "Champions of Change" ceremony, honoring 12 members who were considered pioneers of crowdfunding. Since lobbying for legislation of the JOBS Act, Drake has become a thought leader in the equity-crowdfunding industry, regularly contributing to The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. Drake has also given speeches internationally AbOUT the developments of the JOBS Act.[2] In 2013, Drake co-authored the book Planet Entrepreneur: The World Entrepreneurship Forum’s Guide to Business Success Around the World. Drake was born in Sweden and is fluent in six different languages.

Professional

Drake has been involved in technology media and telecoms (TMT), realty, mineral & energy, clean tech and impact investments for over 20 years. He is the founder and Chairman of LDJ Capital, a private equity advisory firm in New York City. Drake also founded and is the Chairman of The Soho Loft, an event-driven global financial media company.

His focus today is to take on board advisory positions at companies, angel networks and venture funds, and to guide them on such topics as international regulations, corporate strategy and fund structures, with emphasis on the growing trend of online investment automation for retail and angel investors.

In addition to LDJ Capital and The Soho Loft, Drake is a co-founder and Executive Committee board member at the Crowd Funding Professional Association ("CFPA") and a founding board member of the Crowd Funding Intermediary Regulatory Advocates ("CFIRA"). Drake has also helped found angel investor networks such as FP Angels and participates in other angel networks such as Bitcoin and the Chemical Angel Network.

Education

Drake attended American University in Washington D.C on full scholarship and earned bachelor degrees in chemistry and marketing, graduating Summa cum laude. Drake also holds an MBA in Finance and an M.A in International Law and Economics from George Washington University where he was awarded the Wallenberg Scholarship for academic merit.