about us
Who we are
42 Ventures was founded in 2006 by Ned Stringham, an experienced business builder, software expert, and growth company investor. 42v takes a unique approach that is unlike traditional venture firms, angel investors, or private equity groups. Stringham and his team are both business builders and investors unlike typical investment firms that acts as intermediaries investing other people’s money and generally lack experience as successful operators. Everyone at 42v has started and successfully grown their own business, often multiple times. They understand what it takes to win. For some companies that simply need capital, 42v is not a fit, but when entrepreneurs desire a partner that can help make the business grow, this model really works.



42v maintains an evergreen fund of capital that comes personally from Stringham and his close advisors. There is no time frame for exit, nor fixed approach to the investment structure. All decisions are shaped by what the company needs to maximize success. This tightens the alignment between 42v and it portfolio partners.
Since 2006, 42V has invested in 12 businesses that have experienced tremendous success. While we’ve had businesses that failed, the rest have either had extremely successful exits or continue to grow, build value, and create exciting careers for their executives and employees.
Our culture values smarts, deal-making and ‘getting it done’. We work hard at eliminating downside risk without forgetting that we are in it for the upside vision. We plan on having to do it the hard way and are grateful when good fortune and creative ideas shorten the path. We challenge each other’s idea and hope the best thinking wins the day, regardless of the source.
Our Team

Ned Stringham
Managing Director

Ned Stringham
Managing Director
Ned is a recognized entrepreneur, business strategist and technology investor. He started 42 Ventures in 2006 after successfully selling SBI Group, a digital marketing and technology consulting firm which he co-founded in 1998 and then grew to nearly 1,000 employees with 13 offices across the U.S. and Europe. He guided SBI through the dot com bust acquiring several well know public firms including Lante, MarchFirst, Scient and Razorfish. By 2004, SBI had become the largest and most respected independent interactive marketing firm in North America. SBI was acquired by Aquantive where Ned joined the Board.
Prior to SBI Group, Ned founded and ran Impact Partners, a management consulting firm based in Sydney, Australia that served several leading industrial companies and the largest hotel and casino operation in the country. Ned began his career working at McKinsey & Company in their Texas and Sydney offices.
He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School (1990) and degrees in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Utah where he was Student body President and selected as a Truman Scholar.
“There’s nothing more fun than working with a team of committed and bright people to build a business, especially when you have success. I’m doing what I love and I know the people involved see it the same way”
Ned Stringham

Blue VanDyke
Portfolio Partner

Blue VanDyke
Partner
Blue brings business design expertise, visionary planning, strategic thinking and proven leadership to 42V. An international executive fluent in German, Van Dyke has over twenty years of management experience in manufacturing, marketing, and financial services. He is currently the founder and owner of Pride-Media Group, Inc., which is focused on developing Software-as-a-Service applications for industry-specific needs. Previously, Blue held numerous executive positions within the digital marketing and automotive industries. As Chief Operating Officer of Proxicom, Van Dyke specialized in developing the corporate strategy and spearheading the planning and execution of interactive solutions for blue-chip companies such as Chevron, DuPont, Mazda, GMAC and Toyota Motor Sales, among many others. Van Dyke was integral in Proxicom’s survival through the dot-com burst and was tasked to increase revenue and profitability, streamline operations and strategically reposition Proxicom in preparation for sale.
He successfully grew Proxicom to a $60MM business and in 2007 led the sale of Proxicom to the Goldman Sachs backed digital marketing firm iCrossing. Prior to Proxicom, Blue held leading positions at Daimler-Benz and Ernst & Young after receiving his Master of International Management from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management.

Doug Folsom
CFO

Doug Folsom
CFO
Doug is a seasoned executive with over 20 years experience in financial management. He has served as the CFO of five different organizations ranging in size from start-up to one billion in annual revenues covering a range of industries from manufacturing to advertising and marketing. He has created multiple reporting structures with accompanying policies and procedures resulting in efficiencies gained, costs reduced, and profits increased. He has a unique way of presenting complicated financial information in a clear and concise way for management to make informed business decisions.
Doug has also played a pivotal role in both the sale and acquisition of companies performing not only important due diligence procedures, but also the creation of transaction terms and conditions. He is a certified public accountant and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Utah.

Bob Howe
Executive Advisory Board

Bob Howe
Executive Advisory Board
Bob is a Managing Partner at Highnote Foundry and is also the Chairman of Montgomery Goodwin Investments LLC, a private investment and consulting firm. At Montgomery Goodwin Investments, Mr. Howe has invested in a variety of information technology based early stage companies.
He served as CEO and then Chairman of Scient Inc, a provider of integrated e-business strategy and technology services from its founding in 1998 until 2000. He worked for International Business Machines Corporation including as General Manager of its global banking, financial and securities business and founded the IBM Consulting Group, which is currently the largest consulting and information technology services business in the world.
Bob served as a Senior Vice President with Booz Allen Hamilton and was on the firm’s board of directors for nine years. Bob is Chairman of Globoforce, a SaaS company focused in the Human Capital Management market, a Director of Symphony Services, a global information technology services firm and was a Director of the Development Bank of Singapore, American Management Systems and Diversey Inc. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA from SMU.

Tim Storer
Executive Advisory Board

Tim Storer
Executive Advisory Board
Tim Storer brings over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience to 42 Ventures having launched his first business as an MBA student at SMU and has continued to develop and grow new businesses ever since. His deep technology capabilities, inspirational leadership and boundless energy make him an exceptional executive. Currently, Tim oversees three portfolio companies as CEO of Distribion, Inc., Chairman of Vertical Nerve and Chariman of Marketingfx, all based in Dallas, Texas.
Tim received B.S. degrees from Vanderbilt University in Engineering and Mathematics while on a full athletic scholarship to play football. He later attended the Executive MBA program at Southern Methodist University. He served as President of Entrepreneur Organization for two consecutive terms and is an active member in the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), the Dallas All Sports Association and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s marketing committee