Dave Whorton
As a partner at Kleiner Perkins, Dave Whorton was involved in the early support of start-up companies such as Google, AutoTrader and Amazon. He then went on to found Tugboat Ventures® in 2006 and co-founded four companies, including drugstore.com and Good Technology before coining the term “Evergreen” companies – a word to describe private, profitable, and lasting businesses that want to make a difference in the world. Dave then founded Tugboat Institute® in 2013 to connect, support, and inspire purpose-driven leaders of Evergreen® businesses, for which the “7Ps” principles are the defining characteristics: Purpose, Perseverance, People First, Private, Profit, Paced Growth, and Pragmatic Innovation. As CEO, he is responsible for all aspects of Tugboat Institute, including setting long-term strategy, curating the experiences and developing relevant programming for Tugboat Institute, along with championing and celebrating the importance of Evergreen companies. Dave believes Evergreen leaders and their businesses are simply capitalism at its best. Dave holds a BS in Engineering from University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Dave and his wife have been happily married for over two decades and count themselves lucky to have raised their son and daughter in Sun Valley, Idaho. Dave is also a voracious reader. When he puts down the books, he can be found hiking, golfing, and cycling with his family.
