Dave Wright

Dave Wright is currently a CEO Partner at Ardent Venture Partners, a position he has held since March 2021.1 He is based in Boulder, Colorado, United States.

Professional Background

Prior to his role at Ardent Venture Partners, Dave Wright had an extensive career in the technology industry:

• NetApp: He served as Vice President of Technology Strategy from October 2017 to March 2021. Before that, he was Vice President and General Manager of SolidFire at NetApp, starting in February 2016.1

• ServiceNow: Wright held several high-level positions at ServiceNow, including:

  • Chief Innovation Officer (July 2017 - January 2023)
  • Chief Strategy Officer (November 2013 - July 2017)
  • Global Vice President of Solution Consultants (December 2011 - November 2013)2

• VMware: He worked in various roles from 2005 to 2011, including:

  • Vice President of Technical Services for EMEA
  • Senior Director of Systems Engineering
  • Director of Technical Services2

Expertise and Skills

Dave Wright is known for building "reliable, extensible, scalable, useful, creative software products fast".1 His experience spans across solution selling, technical pre-sales, and strategic leadership in the technology sector. At ServiceNow, he managed a growing team of Solutions Consultants, overseeing activities such as establishing career ladders, compensation planning, recruiting, mentoring, and coaching.2

Current Role

At Ardent Venture Partners, Wright is involved in early-stage venture funding, focusing on Seed to Series A investments. The firm has a multi-region approach across the Mid-Atlantic, Atlanta, and Denver/Boulder areas. Ardent's investment thesis centers on the Transformation of Work, including vertical applications leveraging automation drivers, security, productivity and enablement tools, and upskilling for the future.1