Frank Demmler

PHONE

412-580-5767

OFFICE

GSIA - Tepper School of Business - Room 228

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Entrepreneurship

EDUCATION

University of California at Los Angeles - MBA - 1973
Princeton University - BS (Mechanical Engineering) - 1971
Harvard Business School, post-graduate studies, no degree, 1973-1975 - (Marketing for not-for-profit organizations)

USEFUL LINKS

Series of Articles on Funding Early Stage Ventures

BIOGRAPHY

Frank Demmler has served as Adjunct or Associate Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship of the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University since 1987. He currently serves as Innovation Works’ Vice President of Entrepreneurial Services, leading the organization’s Executives in Residence and oversees the business services provided to the enterprises that receive investments from IW. He is also a Managing Director of Riverfront Venture Fund, a $23.7 million fund that invests in the Pittsburgh region. Mr. Demmler has more than 30 years’ experience advising both entrepreneurs and angel investors. Mr. Demmler has significant experience having served as President and CEO of the Future Fund, General Partner of the Pittsburgh Seed Fund, co-founder and investment advisor of the Western Pennsylvania Adventure Capital Fund, and Vice President of Venture Development for the Enterprise Corporation of Pittsburgh. Frank holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University, a Master’s Degree in General Management from the University of California at Los Angeles Graduate School of Management and pursued post-graduate studies in marketing in the doctoral program of the Harvard Business School. Mr. Demmler received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association.

PUBLICATIONS

• Raising Money from Private Investors
  The Technology Management Handbook

CRC Press, 1999; 1-11 - 1-16

• Rapid Transit in Los Angeles
  Public & Nonprofit Marketing: Cases & Readings

(author(s): L. Demmler, Christopher Lovelock) John Wiley & Sons, 1984; 335-352

• United States Postal Service
  Public & Nonprofit Marketing: Cases & Readings

(author(s): L. Demmler, Christopher Lovelock) John Wiley & Sons, 1984; 297-306

• United States Postal Service
  Problems in Marketing

(author(s): L. Demmler, Christopher Lovelock) McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1977; 581-597

AWARDS AND HONORS

• Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association - Lifetime Entrepreneurial Achievement Award (2011)
• CMU, Tepper School of Business - Gerald E. McGinnis Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship (1998)
• Ernst & Young - Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist (1998)

PUBLIC SERVICE

• Air Force Institute of Technology, Board of Visitors (1992 - 1996)
• National Technology Initiative, Repeat panelist on forums sponsored by the White House, Panelist on Venture Capital Funding (1991 - 1992)
• National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC), Venture Capital Funding Advisor (1989 - 1991)
• NASBIC Venture Capital Institute, Instructor (1989 - 1989)

CONSULTING

• Merging business and funding strategies; prioritization of execution actions; creating focus and urgency
• various
• Advisory relationships of all types with almost 3,000 early stage enterprises, their founders, and key management in over 20 years; direct participation in hundreds of investment transactions from both sides of the table totaling about $500 million of cumulative funding. (1970 -)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Board of Directors, Energy Control Systems, Inc. (2003 - 2005)
• Board of Directors, MindMatters Technologies, Inc. (2000 - 2003)
• Board of Directors, Coupling Systems, Inc (1996 - 2002)
• Board of Directors, Laminar Software, Inc. (2000 - 2001)
• Board of Directors, SneakerLabs, Inc. (1998 - 2000)
• Board of Advisors, True Commerce, Inc. (1997 - 2000)
• Board of Directors, Vortex Systems, Inc. (1990 - 1996)
• Board of Directors, Automated Health Care, Inc (1990 - 1995)
• Board of Directors, Computer Renaissance, Inc. (1987 - 1992)
• Board of Directors, Iconnex, Inc. (1986 - 1992)

COURSES TAUGHT

• Funding Early Stage Ventures (45905) 2016 Mini 2 Section: E
  2016 Mini 4 Section: E
  2015 Mini 2 Section: E
  2015 Mini 4 Section: E
  2014 Mini 4 Section: E
  2013 Mini 4 Section: E

• Entrepreneurship for High Growth Companies (45805) 2015 Mini 3 Section: E
  2014 Mini 3 Section: E
  2013 Mini 3 Section: E

• Funding Early Stage Ventures (45884) 2012 Mini 5 Section: M
  2012 Mini 4 Section: E
  2011 Mini 5 Section: M
  2011 Mini 4 Section: E
  2010 Mini 6 Section: E
  2010 Mini 4 Section: E
  2009 Mini 6 Section: E, M
  2009 Mini 4 Section: A
  2008 Mini 4 Section: E
  2007 Mini 4 Section: E
  2006 Mini 3 Section: E

• Entrepreneural Thought and Action (45881) 2011 Mini 2 Section: E, M
  2010 Mini 2 Section: E, M
  2010 Mini 3 Section: M
  2009 Mini 2 Section: E
  2008 Mini 2 Section: E, M
  2007 Mini 2 Section: E, M
  2006 Mini 2 Section: M
  2006 Mini 3 Section: M

• Entrepreneurial Business Planning (45882) 2008 Mini 5 Section: M
  2007 Mini 3 Section: M
  2006 Mini 4 Section: M

• Entrepreneurial Leadership (45885) 2008 Section: A
  2007 Section: A

• Entrepreneurial Management (45885) 2006 Mini 4 Section: A

• Introduction to Accounting (large) (70122) 2005 Section: Q

• Introduction to Business (70100) 2005 Section: Q