Marc H. Morgenstern

Marc’s an entrepreneur and mentor capitalist for innovative early stage companies. During an eclectic career (technology, venture, retail, real estate, and law) he Founded/Co-Founded companies as well as venture funds. He’s the Mentor-at-Large for UC Berkeley’s $100MM seed venture fund and taught “Street Smart Startups” at Berkeley’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology.

In addition to being the first outside investor in LA-based Divergent 3D (software solution revolutionizing automotive manufacturing), Marc served as their EVP for three years and then as Senior Strategic Advisor. He was a founding investor and Senior Advisor to San Francisco’s LoungeBuddy (travel app; sold to American Express), and has been a Director of public and numerous private companies

For three decades he was a nationally prominent corporate and securities deal attorney who served as CEO/Managing Partner of an entrepreneurial Midwest law firm before joining a national law firm as a West Coast Equity Partner.

He wrote the Definitive Deal Dictionary (and other articles about deals, negotiating, venture, and startups), and frequently speaks on those topics on podcasts, radio, or events. Marc also authored The Soul of the Deal: Creative frameworks for buying, selling, and investing in any business (Rodin Books; 2022). His observations have appeared in The New York Times, Bloomberg Dealnewsletter, and Wall Street Journal.

In the non-profit world he served on the Editorial Board of the Real Estate Securities Journal and Cleveland Food Bank, and remains a long-time Board member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as Rex Foundation (founded by the Grateful Dead).

His B.A. in American Studies/Social History is from Yale and J.D. from Boston University.

Episode appearances

Episode 216: “What The Grateful Dead and Successful Dealmakers Have in Common” with Marc Morgenstern