TOM WALLACE
MANAGING PARTNER, FLORIDA FUNDERS, TAMPA
Recognized as the top VC in the Southeast by Pitchbook, Florida Funders is a hybrid of a venture capital fund and an angel investor network that discovers, funds and builds early-stage technology companies in Florida and beyond. Wallace majored in management information systems and “loved how it allowed me to explore business and computer science in near equal parts.” He began his career as a programmer, but started his first company a few years after graduating and “just fell in love with everything about starting, building and running companies.”
| EDUCATION | Indiana University of Pennsylvania (BS) |
| CIVIC EFFORT | Florida Funders manages the Florida Institute’s portfolio of 60-plus life science and technology companies that have received funding through either the institute’s loan or equity investment programs. |
| SOMETHING SURPRISING | I write poetry, short stories, and I’ve been working on a book for a long time. |
| NEW HOBBY | Over the past year, I’ve started the Investing in Florida Technology podcast. We have since produced episodes with everyone from Alexis Ohanian, the founder of Reddit, to Jason Calacanis, one of the first angel investors in Uber, Chris Sullivan, the founder of Outback and Bloomin’ Brands, and many other investors. |
| ADMIRES | Brian Murphy from ReliaQuest. He’s done an amazing job with that company, and he just has an all-around great reputation as a strong leader. |
| READING | Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott; Peace is Every Step, by Thich Nhat Hanh; Trillion Dollar Coach, by Alan Eagle, Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg; Think Like a Monk, by Jay Shetty |