Thomas Scholl

Tom has been in the DC metro high tech startup scene for 35 years. He began his career at the Central Intelligence Agency as a systems programmer on the world’s largest computers, then later joined a startup called Digital Communications Corporation that grew into Hughes Network Systems.

After leaving Hughes as Senior Vice President of Engineering, Tom founded Telogy Networks as a bootstrap CEO with five other co-founders. Telogy became a world-class pioneer in both mobile phone and VOIP (voice-over-internet-protocol) technology. After eight profitable years, Telogy sold its mobile division to Motorola and raised its Series A round. A little over one year later, Texas Instruments acquired Telogy delivering a 14.4X return to Series A investors.

After starting or being associated with many other companies, Tom joined Novak Biddle Venture Partners as a partner, spending 14 years as an early-stage venture capitalist with over $500 million across five funds.

Tom is currently chairman of the Liberal Arts Dean’s Advisory Board at Purdue University, past chair and member of the trustee’s Research Committee at Stevens Institute of Technology, and past chair and member of the Board of Visitors at the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland.

Tom holds six patents relating to software, the Internet, and telephone systems, and he is the author of “Packet Switching” in McGraw Hill’s Electronic Communications Handbook. He has a Doctor of Letters, HDR, and BA in Philosophy and Literature from Purdue University. Growing up he was an avid Ham radio operator (WA9GTO) and Eagle Scout.