Mark DeSantis

Q & A

• Q: Trust. Experience. Independence. Results. What does this mean to you?
  A:

  Without trust the world would be a miserable place to live. It is the bedrock for every relationship we have, whether it be with a family member, spouse, employer, institution or government. Experience is the essential ingredient to getting results. No amount of education or learning can substitute for it and without it, no real-world results are possible. Independence of thought and action allow for another key ingredient, integrity, to come into play when trying to do big things in this world.

• Q: What drives you?
  A:

  I like the simple, but very difficult, act of creating something from nothing and generating big outcomes where none existed before. To me, this is the essence of business.

• Q: What are you passionate about?
  A:

  I have passion for creating opportunities for others to succeed. I’ve been lucky to have worked with people whose missions were to create paths for others to achieve their dreams. That has inspired me to do the same for others.

Expertise

Mark is a serial tech entrepreneur, adviser and board member who has lead or guided the creation, development and acquisition of a number of businesses in a wide variety of industries. He has lead all facets of venture creation and execution, primarily in AI-driven businesses, in the areas of fundraising, business development and strategic partnering leading to acquisition. He has been particularly successful in corporate venturing and partnering, including past collaborations with GE, BMW, Federal Signal, Fulton Hogan and others.

Mark brings particular expertise in cultivating global growth opportunities and spotting early technology-driven market trends. Mark is partnering closely with Cascadia’s Robotics, Automation and Artificial Intelligence group to lend his extensive knowledge, expertise and relationships for the benefit of Cascadia’s clients and partners.

Bio

Mark is an Executive Director and Senior Advisor in Cascadia Capital’s Robotics, Automation & Artificial Intelligence practice. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University School of Engineering and Heinz College, and frequent guest lecturer at Dartmouth and Princeton. He is also the CEO of Bloomfield Robotics, an AI-driven AgTech company. Mark is a serial technology entrepreneur and has extensive operational and transactional expertise. He was previously co-founder and CEO RoadBotics, a venture-backed AI platform used for infrastructure assessment. He was co-founder and Chairman of kWantix, a quant energy hedge fund; co-founder and CEO of kWantera, a GE Ventures-backed energy trading company; CEO of Think Through Learning, a venture-backed online tutoring company; and US Managing Director of ANGLE Technology, PLC, a UK-based venture capital firm and consultancy.

Earlier in his career, Mark was the Director of Government Relations for Texas Instruments and held policy positions as a Senior Policy Analyst in The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Administration of George H. W. Bush. He was also staff assistant to late U.S. Senator John Heinz and a management consultant with Booz Allen.

Mark holds a PhD in Public Policy from the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.