Arkansas Native Bobby Franklin Heads National Venture Capital Group
by March 5, 2015 1:57 pm 320 views
Google “Bobby Franklin NVCA” and you’ll find several articles and interviews from 2014 regarding the National Venture Capital Association President and CEO.
Who is Bobby Franklin?
He’s a longtime Capitol Hill tech lobbyist who started with former U.S. Senator David Pryor and once represented Alltel Corp. in Washington, D.C. He’s an Arkansas native from Russellville and a graduate of the University of Arkansas.
Here’s an outtake from a 2014 interview shortly after taking the reins of the NVCA.
Q: WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE NVCA DO?
Franklin: As the voice of the U.S. venture capital community, the National Venture Capital Association empowers its members and the entrepreneurs they fund by advocating for policies that encourage innovation and reward long-term investment.
Additionally, we serve as the definitive resource for venture capital data to lawmakers, journalists, academia and other stakeholders. And, at our annual VentureScape meeting, we bring together venture investors and entrepreneurs from across America to help them prepare to build their businesses.
The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) represents more than 400 venture capital firms.
Franklin also weighed in on the FCC’s recent decision regarding net neutrality in a recent release.
“Today’s vote is a win for the entrepreneurial ecosystem. By prohibiting ISPs from discriminating through paid prioritization, the FCC has ensured that America’s startups have the opportunity to thrive and grow on a level playing field without being placed at a competitive disadvantage to larger competitors,” he said.
Read more of his comments here.