Thorne Sparkman
Director/Board Member at Traction Software, Inc.
Profile
Thorne Sparkman is the managing director of the Slater Technology Fund, Rhode Island’s oldest and most active seed-stage investment fund, where he is responsible for the firm’s investments across a range of sectors.
Thorne focuses on the earliest stage of company creation, often working with university-based teams commercializing research.
He serves as a board member for Voltserver, CarbonPoint, HappyNest, Prothera Biologics, Datarista, Advanced Image Enhancement, and Tizra Software, and as a board observer at RxVantage, Lenoss Medical, Squadlocker, Drive Time Metrics, eNow, Arctura, Vitae and Carethread.
He was previously involved with Location, Inc. (acquired by CoreLogic NYSE:CLGX), Andera (acquired by Bottomline Technologies, NASDQ: EPAY), VCharge (acquired by OVO Energy) Mofuse (acquired by The Search Agency), MTI Film and MTI Machine vision (acquired by DVT Corporation, NASDQ: CGNX), GeneSpectrum (acquired by NABsys), Swyx, Tazz Networks, and ModEnergy (acquired by Enersys NSDQ: ENS) among others.
Thorne is an avid supporter of the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC) and Cleantech Open.
He enjoys working with young entrepreneurs as a guest lecturer at Brown University and its Nelson Center for Innovation, the University of Rhode Island, the New England Medical Innovation Center, and at accelerators such as MassChallenge, and at Brown University’s B-Lab.
He is a frequent panelist at national and local conferences, and his articles on entrepreneurship have appeared in publications including The Providence Journal, Mass High Tech, American Venture, and the Providence Business News.
Thorne holds a B.A.
from Harvard and an M.B.A.
from the University of California, Berkeley.
Thorne Sparkman active positions
| Companies | Position | Start |
|---|---|---|
Traction Software, Inc.
 Traction Software, Inc. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Traction Software, Inc. develops content and document management software solutions. It provides web-based hypertext journaling software, which enables corporate, university and government clients to benefit from the information-sharing technology. The firm’s solutions include human resources, quality management, competitive intelligence, and project management. The company was founded by Gregory Lloyd, Steven Weinstein and Chris Nuzum in 1996 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Director/Board Member | - |
Slater Technology Fund, Inc.
 Slater Technology Fund, Inc. Investment ManagersFinance Slater Technology Fund Inc (Slater Technology Fund) is a venture capital firm founded in 1997. The firm is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. | Private Equity Investor | 2005-05-31 |
Advanced Image Enhancement, Inc.
 Advanced Image Enhancement, Inc. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Advanced Image Enhancement, Inc. develops innovative image processing software that provides screening and diagnosis solutions for diseases. Its products include digital mammography, FDA clearance, chest x-ray, and security applications. The company was founded by Michael J. Duarte and Alan Semine in November 2000 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Director/Board Member | - |
CarbonPoint Solutions
 CarbonPoint Solutions Industrial MachineryProducer Manufacturing Enhanced Energy Group LLC provides modular non-emissive power systems for oil, gas, geothermal, and power markets. The firm also provides consulting and project management services in the areas of naval systems, conventional energy, gas equipment, and renewable power spaces. It offers oxygen combustion-based power systems, such as multi-fuel piston engines and generators, and multi-fuel high pressure turbine engines and generators. The company was founded by Paul Dunn in 2011 and is headquartered in West Kingston, RI. | Director/Board Member | - |
VoltServer, Inc.
 VoltServer, Inc. Electric UtilitiesUtilities VoltServer, Inc. engages in the development of power distribution products. The firm offers packet energy transfer which delivers digital power in a modular system to power remote components over standard communications cables. Its solutions include wireless densification, intelligent building, and indoor agriculture. The company was founded by Stephen Spencer Eaves and H. Daniel Lowe in 2011 and is headquartered in East Greenwich, RI. | Director/Board Member | - |
Datarista, Inc.
 Datarista, Inc. Internet Software/ServicesTechnology Services Datarista, Inc. operates as platform which provides third-party sales and marketing data. The firm's platform is built with a microservices architecture, hosted in the cloud, and deployed using the containerization technologies. The company was founded by Pat Sabatino in 2015 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Director/Board Member | - |
HappyNest, Inc.
 HappyNest, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services HappyNest, Inc. provides administration and management services. The company is headquartered in North Kingstown, RI. | Director/Board Member | 2012-12-31 |
ProThera Biologics, Inc.
 ProThera Biologics, Inc. Pharmaceuticals: OtherHealth Technology ProThera Biologics, Inc. develops diagnostics and therapeutics treatments. The firm’s products include replenish the deficiency in patients, significantly reduce inflammation and target the host's dysregulated response. The company was founded by Yow-Pin Lim and Douglas C. Hixson in 2002 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Director/Board Member | - |
| Righthill Ventures | Private Equity Investor | 2019-12-31 |
Former positions of Thorne Sparkman
| Companies | Position | End |
|---|---|---|
| ░░░░░░ ░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░░ |
| ░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ | - |
| ░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ | - |
| ░░░░ ░░░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ | - |
Training of Thorne Sparkman
| Harvard University | Undergraduate Degree |
| University of California, Berkeley | Graduate Degree |
Experiences
Positions held
Connections
1st degree connections
1st degree companies
Male
Female
Members of the board
Executives
Linked companies
| Private companies | 13 |
|---|---|
Time Warner, Inc.
 Time Warner, Inc. Movies/EntertainmentConsumer Services Time Warner, Inc. engaged in the provision of cable network, filmed entertainment, and publishing services. It operated through the following segments: Turner, Home Box Office, and Warner Bros. The Turner segment created and programed branded news, entertainment, sports and kids multi-platform content for consumers around the world. The Home Box Office segment operated the HBO and Cinemax multichannel premium pay television services. The Warner Bros. segment produced and distributed television shows, feature films, and games. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in New York, NY. | Consumer Services |
Dynamic Decision Technologies, Inc.
 Dynamic Decision Technologies, Inc. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Dynamic Decision Technologies, Inc. develops hybrid optimization software solutions. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Technology Services |
VoltServer, Inc.
VoltServer, Inc. Electric UtilitiesUtilities VoltServer, Inc. engages in the development of power distribution products. The firm offers packet energy transfer which delivers digital power in a modular system to power remote components over standard communications cables. Its solutions include wireless densification, intelligent building, and indoor agriculture. The company was founded by Stephen Spencer Eaves and H. Daniel Lowe in 2011 and is headquartered in East Greenwich, RI. | Utilities |
Traction Software, Inc.
Traction Software, Inc. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Traction Software, Inc. develops content and document management software solutions. It provides web-based hypertext journaling software, which enables corporate, university and government clients to benefit from the information-sharing technology. The firm’s solutions include human resources, quality management, competitive intelligence, and project management. The company was founded by Gregory Lloyd, Steven Weinstein and Chris Nuzum in 1996 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Technology Services |
Slater Technology Fund, Inc.
Slater Technology Fund, Inc. Investment ManagersFinance Slater Technology Fund Inc (Slater Technology Fund) is a venture capital firm founded in 1997. The firm is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. | Finance |
Advanced Image Enhancement, Inc.
Advanced Image Enhancement, Inc. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Advanced Image Enhancement, Inc. develops innovative image processing software that provides screening and diagnosis solutions for diseases. Its products include digital mammography, FDA clearance, chest x-ray, and security applications. The company was founded by Michael J. Duarte and Alan Semine in November 2000 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Technology Services |
ProThera Biologics, Inc.
ProThera Biologics, Inc. Pharmaceuticals: OtherHealth Technology ProThera Biologics, Inc. develops diagnostics and therapeutics treatments. The firm’s products include replenish the deficiency in patients, significantly reduce inflammation and target the host's dysregulated response. The company was founded by Yow-Pin Lim and Douglas C. Hixson in 2002 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Health Technology |
Tizra, Inc.
 Tizra, Inc. Internet Software/ServicesTechnology Services Tizra, Inc.is a digital publishing platform. The company provides web publishing and technology services. It offers ebooks, paid content, online media, e-commerce, information sales, multi platform, mobile, educational, professional, and digital publishing,. The company was founded by David G. Durand, Francisco Assis Rosa, Abe Dane and Anne Orens in 2006 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Technology Services |
Datarista, Inc.
Datarista, Inc. Internet Software/ServicesTechnology Services Datarista, Inc. operates as platform which provides third-party sales and marketing data. The firm's platform is built with a microservices architecture, hosted in the cloud, and deployed using the containerization technologies. The company was founded by Pat Sabatino in 2015 and is headquartered in Providence, RI. | Technology Services |
CarbonPoint Solutions
CarbonPoint Solutions Industrial MachineryProducer Manufacturing Enhanced Energy Group LLC provides modular non-emissive power systems for oil, gas, geothermal, and power markets. The firm also provides consulting and project management services in the areas of naval systems, conventional energy, gas equipment, and renewable power spaces. It offers oxygen combustion-based power systems, such as multi-fuel piston engines and generators, and multi-fuel high pressure turbine engines and generators. The company was founded by Paul Dunn in 2011 and is headquartered in West Kingston, RI. | Producer Manufacturing |
HappyNest, Inc.
HappyNest, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services HappyNest, Inc. provides administration and management services. The company is headquartered in North Kingstown, RI. | Commercial Services |
| Righthill Ventures | |
Alektrona Corp.
 Alektrona Corp. Specialty TelecommunicationsCommunications Alektrona Corp. provided wireless infrastructure solutions. It offered enhanced connectivity solutions simplifying advanced metering, demand side management, real time pricing, messaging, and efficiency applications. The company was founded in 2006 and was headquartered in Providence, RI. | Communications |
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