Ray Rothrock: A Venture Capitalist with a Cause

RED HERRING | November 1, 2016

Most venture capitalists embrace the career after a stint as a banker, CEO, or tech executive. Then the average tenure as a VC spans over 15 years, during which they groom two new startups per year, and enjoy the lifestyle attached to that profession. Eventually they retire, often rich, and “vanish to the sunset” as John Fisher, the founder of Draper Fisher elegantly puts it. Few would have anticipated that Ray Rothrock, would have gone the other way, and reversed from a successful quarter century role at Venrock, the famous Rockefeller venture firm, to spearhead a then fledgling start up as his last assignment in his professional journey.