Dave Neal

Dave Neal is a leading expert on the intersection of startups, law, and finance. As a result of his more than two decades as a founder, C Level team member, and financier of early-stage companies, he has amassed broad experience in all sectors of the startup landscape. He has managed more than $325 million in financing during his career. Dave is the Managing Director of Accelerant Ventures, LLC., a consulting practice for early-stage technology companies. Dave was Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Startup Factory, the preeminent technology accelerator in the Southeast. Dave has performed Chairman, CEO, CFO and General Counsel roles since 1994. In 2011 Dave joined Chris Heivly, a serial software entrepreneur and a co-founder of MapQuest, to raise the capital for The Startup Factory. TSF made 35 investments from 2012-15, focusing on lean startup methodologies and “mentorship on steroids” with these companies.Dave previously spent eleven years as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC and five years as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the UNC School of Law. He co-developed the FastTrac Tech program for the Council of Entrepreneurial Development and taught that course six times. David holds a B.S. and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.