Investors and Board
The investors in TraceLink aren't just financial supporters, they are a key partner in driving our success. Stimulating new ideas, challenging our assumptions and asking "what if" are all part of the foundation that the TraceLink investment team provides to our company.
Investors
FirstMark Capital invests in visionaries; those who not only envision the future but make it happen through high-growth businesses in key technology markets. FirstMark can often be found at the forefront of the most complex and rapidly evolving industries, constantly evaluating the market shifts that underlie the next wave of business opportunities and staying ahead of a constantly-changing marketplace.
FirstMark, based out of New York City, works closely with entrepreneurial visionaries and their management teams to foster exceptional, sustainable and world-changing businesses. Managing nearly $2 billion in capital commitments, FirstMark combines decades of business leadership and operational excellences with a “roll-up-the-sleeves” approach to investing. The firm seeks out early stage partnerships where maximum impact and opportunity lie.
The team at TraceLink has a long standing relationship with FirstMark and its Founder and Managing Director Lawrence D. Lenihan. For more than a decade, Larry and his partners at FirstMark have been investors in and supporters of several previous companies led by Shabbir Dahod and the rest of the TraceLink team. We welcome the opportunity to work with the FirstMark team in building TraceLink's future.
Board of Directors
Lawrence D. Lenihan Jr.
Lawrence D. Lenihan Jr. is the Founder, CEO and Managing Director of FirstMark Capital. Prior to founding FirstMark, Mr. Lenihan founded Pequot Ventures in 1996. Mr. Lenihan is responsible for investments in the data & analytics and vertical applications & services sectors. He serves as a senior member of FirstMark Capital's Investment Committee and has been directly involved in the formation of each private equity and venture capital fund established by the firm since its inception.
Prior to FirstMark, Mr. Lenihan was a Principal at Broadview Associates, L.L.C. (now part of Jefferies & Co.) one of the leading mergers and acquisitions advisory firms focused on the information technology industry. Before joining Broadview, Mr. Lenihan held several operational positions at IBM, and led the development and launch of one of the first transactional multimedia systems for the retail industry.
Mr. Lenihan sits on the boards of Dovetail Insurance, Duck Creek Technologies, Duck Creek Technologies Europe, Ltd., EagleEye Analytics, Health Plan One, SecondMarket, Saba Software (NASDAQ: SABA), Superior Access Insurance Services and Swingtide. He serves as Chairman of the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering Devil Fund. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at New York University.
Mr. Lenihan holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. from Duke University.
Shabbir Dahod
Shabbir Dahod is President and CEO of TraceLink Inc. and also a Venture Partner at FirstMark Capital. Over the course of his 24-year career, Mr. Dahod has remained on the cutting edge of innovation and focused on the intersection of technology, business and management. Early on, Mr. Dahod identified the significance of the PC revolution, starting his career at Boston-based startup, Layered Inc., to develop an accounting package for the MAC and Windows platforms. The Company was later sold to Peachtree, and Mr. Dahod joined the lead investor, Paul Allen, at his Seattle-based startup, Asymetrix. While there, Mr. Dahod established Asymetrix as a leader in Multimedia Authoring technology in the Computer Based Learning market. Asymetrix, whose portfolio included one of the first products in hypermedia development, digital video editing, 3-D modeling, learning management and multimedia presentations later completed a successful IPO. Mr. Dahod incubated and researched multiple emerging web-based products and technologies in conjunction with Mr. Allen, including early initiatives in eCommerce, natural language query, online sports, digital media and Java development tools.
Mr. Dahod later joined Microsoft to lead collaboration and knowledge management efforts using emerging XML standards and new Internet communication tools. In 1999, he returned to Boston and founded iWant, an early leader in the market for search-based, pay-for-performance Internet advertising supported applications. He then served as interim CEO at Performaworks to revamp the product, technology and customer base in the corporate employee and goal management market. More recently, Mr. Dahod founded SupplyScape Corporation, a leader in safeguarding the pharmaceutical supply chain from counterfeiting and diversion based on barcode and RFID technologies. Under his leadership, SupplyScape established new industry standards, shaped regulations and acquired 100 major customers including Pfizer, UPS, Walgreens and Wal-Mart. Mr. Dahod brings to TraceLink decades of leadership experience with SaaS, shrink-wrap and enterprise business models as well as go-to-market strategies including online, channel, inside and field sales and marketing.
Mr. Dahod received his B.A. in Computer Science from Boston University. He resides in Andover, MA with his wife and two sons, and recently completed the 2006 San Francisco and 2007 Disney World Marathons.
