Roger Novak brings over 25 years of experience as a venture capitalist, angel investor, and operating principal. Novak Biddle Venture Partners (NBVP) is a premier, early-stage venture capital firm backed by some of the country’s most prestigious investors.
Prior to co-founding NBVP, Roger was a private investor. In 1984, he was co-founder and three-fund general partner of Grotech Partners, where he was principally focused on information technology. Two of his investments, Verity and Secure Computing, are ranked among the top 10 performing IPOs of 1995. Earlier in his career Roger led the investment banking effort at Baker, Watts & Co., where he served on the firm’s Executive Committee.
During his career, Roger has served on many public, private and civic boards. Currently, he serves on the boards of Capital Education Group, Digital Signal Corporation, Fidelis Corporation, Previstar, Parchment, Inc., UniversityNow, and SS8 Networks. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Department of Homeland Security's PREDICT (Protected Repository for the Defense of Infrastructure against Cyber Threats), and was a member of the OSD’s (Office of Secretary of Defense) DeVenCI program. Roger also serves on the Board of Trustees for Kenyon College and on the Board of Directors of Houghton, Mifflin and Harcourt. Roger recently served on the board of the NVCA where he was Treasurer and a member of the Executive Committee for three consecutive years. Previously, Roger served as lead director of Blackboard, Inc. (acquired by Providence Equity Partners), a leading education company, LifeMinders.com, NEW/Asurion, Trusted Computer Solutions/Raytheon, Intelliworks and Spectrum K12. For his service on Blackboard, Roger was named an Outstanding Director by Ernst & Young and the Washington Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Over the years Roger has served on the State of Virginia’s Joint Commission on Science and Technology. He also served as a member of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government's project to examine the funding gap between innovation and commercialization. In addition, Roger has participated in a presidential High Technology Summit. Roger won the 2007 Early Stage East Sal Buccieri Memorial Venture Impact Award, which recognizes an individual who has clearly impacted early stage technology and fast growth opportunities. Roger has also been recognized as one of the Washington, D.C. area’s 100 “Tech Titans.”
A frequent speaker on venture capital, risk and innovation issues, Roger has spoken before the National Institute of Science and Technology, the World Bank/IFC, DARPA, and many other institutions. He has also advised members of Congress and government agencies about ways the public and private sector can work together to improve the nation’s high-tech economy.
A frequent contributor to the local and national media on technology and investment issues, Roger has appeared on The McNeil Lehrer Newshour, CNN, CNNfN, Wall Street Week and other programs.
