- General Partners
- Phil Reed
General Partner - Mark Solon
Managing Partner
A strong network at your disposal
Strong Partners
Our team comprises Highway 12 Ventures management, our advisory board, and our close affiliation with Village Ventures. In shaping this team, we’ve created a national network of close relationships which provides our portfolio companies with an extension to their own capabilities. Our team includes seasoned executives and entrepreneurs who represent a broad range of industries and operational experience. We pride ourselves on actively leveraging our experience, network and relationships in an effort to be a valuable partner.
Lastly, the relationships we’ve forged with many other top venture firms provide another critical ingredient for your future growth: access to later-stage capital as your company continues its upward trajectory and its financing needs increase.
“We pride ourselves on actively leveraging our experience, network and relationships in an effort to be a valuable partner.”
Phil Reed
General Partner
Phil has led a distinguished career in the technology industry since co-founding both IMSAI/ComputerLand (NASDAQ: CLND) in 1975 and BusinessLand (NYSE: BLI) in 1982. IMSAI was one of the earliest manufacturers of Intel 8000-series microcomputers, then became ComputerLand, the first and largest dedicated distribution channel for personal computers. In 1992, he became President & CEO of SkyStar Aircraft Corporation, manufacturer of the popular Kitfox aircraft which is sold in 27 countries. In all, Phil has founded or co-founded more than a dozen companies in his career. Phil has served as Chairman of multiple of the firm’s portfolio companies including @Last Software which was acquired by Google. In 2004, Phil succeeded in co-founding Boise’s first organized Angel group, The Boise Angel Alliance.
Phil is a graduate of Harvard University. Throughout his career, he has shown leadership in small business origination, development, and mentoring of executive teams. With more than 30 years of experience in founding and building companies, Phil is in an ideal position and incredibly passionate about mentoring young startup companies. His other passions are family, flying, and teaming with his wife Jill in caring for the multitude of animals that find their way in and out of their home. Despite our best efforts, Phil will always consider himself more an entrepreneur than a venture capitalist…
“I believe that building a good business is an exciting and creative undertaking that should add lasting value to all those touched by the process. It is exciting for me to be a part of a team that shares that belief and makes available the people and capital resources to assist companies in reaching their potential.”
Mark Solon
Managing Partner
Mark co-founded Highway 12 Ventures in 2000 and has been in the venture capital industry since 1995 when he joined Atlantic Capital Group, a Boston-based private equity firm as a general partner. Prior to his career in venture capital, he spent nearly a decade in the financial services industry after attending Lehigh University.
Mark is a director of multiple Highway 12 portfolio companies and the Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association. He is also a mentor at TechStars in Boulder, an incredibly successful mentorship-driven seed stage investment program. Passionate about Boise and Idaho, he serves on the advisory board of the Boise State University College of Engineering as well as the Board of Directors of the Idaho Hockey Foundation, as well as co-chairing the Idaho Business Council. Mark was a founding board member of the Idaho Technology Council and is also formerly President of the Board of Directors of the Discovery Center of Idaho, Boise’s wonderful science museum. He enjoys playing hockey with his pals, mountain & road biking and camping in the back-country of Idaho with his family and friends, and delights with his wife Pam in the wonder of watching their kids turn into young adults. To the never-ending amusement of his partners, you might walk into our office shortly after lunchtime and find Mark enjoying a quick cat nap…