David Lerner
Director, Venture Lab

David operates the Venture Lab @ CTV which helps launch 12-15 new faculty spinoffs each year, manages Tech Ventures' portfolio of spin-off companies, and administrates Tech Ventures' Seed Fund. During his tenure he has helped incubate/spinoff 60+ technology companies. Of Columbia’s 147 historical portfolio companies: 88 are still active, 42 have been venture-backed, and 27 have been sold or gone public. 

David is also an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School where he teaches both Launching New Ventures and the Greenhouse Program to aspiring entrepreneurs. He also teaches The Lean Launch Pad with Steve Blank in his capacity as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Science. 

By background he is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and community organizer and was recently named one of the "top 100 most influential New Yorkers in the digital business community as well as one of NYC's top 100 angel investors" by Silicon Alley Insider. He sold his first company to one of the nation’s leading providers of physical medicine and rehabilitation services and then co-founded a video management platform that raised $6 million in their Series A and sold to a publicly held company on the NASDAQ. He authors a personal blog on the subjects of entrepreneurship, early-stage investing as well as the university space.

David is a graduate of Williams College and received his JD at Washington University. He serves on the Boards of the New York Tech Meetup, the New York Venture Community and the Columbia Venture Community.