William H. Harrington is the founder and principal of Vista Ventures, LLC, a venture capital consulting firm that specializes in assistance to investors and entrepreneurial companies both in the US and Latin America. Vista Ventures provides advisory services and due diligence for investors in early stage companies. The firm also advises emerging companies on issues related to capital-raising, business strategy, marketing plans, management team, and strategic alliances.

In his prior capacity Mr. Harrington served as executive vice president of the Ben Franklin Technology Center which is widely recognized as perhaps the leading example of effective public/private partnerships in economic development in the US. Mr. Harrington operated the nation's largest seed capital investment program with a portfolio of over 200 companies. Investments ranged from $25,000 to $300,000 through five different investment funds, including one fund devoted to microenterprises. Over 70% of the companies in which these funds are invested are still in business, a remarkable figure considering the early stage of the ventures. On average, each dollar of investment in these early stage companies subsequently generated $20 in additional outside capital from private investors, venture capital funds, and public offerings.

Mr. Harrington was responsible annually for marketing to generate over 150 new applicants, due diligence evaluations of about 80 investment candidates and closing investments in approximately 40 start-up or emerging companies. These efforts combined (a) investment capital, (b) management training for entrepreneurs and (c) transfer of technology into the commercial sector. In addition, he oversaw a program of assistance to the management of small business incubators and a network of private investors who finance entrepreneurial ventures.

Prior to the eight years spent in this capacity, Mr. Harrington served five years as chief executive of an organization that provided volunteer executives to assist small and emerging businesses. His position for the previous four years was as the chief executive of a non-profit community development corporation engaged in housing rehabilitation, industrial redevelopment, commercial revitalization, and employment training for youth.

Mr. Harrington has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Lafayette College and a master's degree in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been selected annually since 1999 by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to serve as a judge in its business plan competition. He is a frequent panelist on raising private equity capital, due diligence, and assistance to portfolio companies.  Mr. Harrington serves on the board of the Sustainable Development Fund which invests in environmentally sustainable business ventures. Mr. Harrington is an active private investor in emerging companies and is conversant in Spanish.  

Vista Ventures was highlighted in a front page story on venture capital in the Philadelphia Business Journal on May 28, 1999.  

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