Our Team
Leveraging decades of leadership roles, operational acumen, financial expertise, and technical insight, TVP’s team of principals have more than 50 years of combined successful venture-investing experience, including direct involvement in over $25 billion of transactions for technology companies.
Bryson D. Hollimon
Managing General Partner
Mr. Hollimon is the Managing General Partner of Technology Venture Partners, LLC, a venture-capital firm with more than $250 million under management. Prior to forming TVP, Bryson was a Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking at Dain Rauscher Wessels, now RBC Capital Markets, where he was directly responsible for the execution of over $18.4 billion of public and private equity financings and $7.6 billion of merger and acquisition advisory work. As Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, he was a member of the Executive Committee and responsible for equity underwritings, merger and acquisition assignments, private equity investing, and Co-Head of the firm’s a High Yield operation.
Prior to the acquisition by Dain Rauscher, Mr. Hollimon was integrally involved in building Wessels, Arnold & Henderson, LLC and subsequently Dain Rauscher Wessels from a small investment firm employing 20 investment professionals in 1990 to an organization employing 120 investment professionals in five geographic locations in 1999. Prior to joining Wessels in 1990, Bryson was a Senior Vice President and Head of Direct Investments in the investment banking division of Wheat First Securities, Inc., now Wells Fargo Securities.
Bryson has been a venture capital investor in such companies as; CIENA Corporation; Telogy Networks, Inc.; Allaire Corporation; CyberSource; Maker Communications, Inc.; Prominet Corporation; Aegis Lightwave, Inc.; Verrillion, Inc.; Inlet Technologies, Inc.; Nistica, Inc.; RedShift Systems, Inc.; Princeton Optronics, Inc.; Celleration, Inc; and 7SIGNAL, Inc. Mr. Hollimon has served on the Board of Directors of the following companies: Aegis Lightwave, Inc.; Verrillion, Inc.; Inlet Technologies, Inc.; Mapletree Networks, Inc.; Nistica, Inc.; and Princeton Optronics, Inc. and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of RedShift BioAnalytics, Inc. and 7SIGNAL, Inc.
Mr. Hollimon has also served as a strategic and financial advisor to such companies as Ascend Communications; Chipcom Corporation; CIENA Corporation; GeoTel Communications; NetStar, Inc.; Powerwave Technologies, Inc.; Summa Four, Inc.; TGV Software, Inc.; Visual Networks, Inc.; Xylan Corporation and Yurie Systems, Inc.
Bryson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Minnesota and is a guest lecturer at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management on topics related to investment banking, venture capital, and private-equity investing.
Donald E. Bossi, Ph.D.
General Partner
Following many years as a highly successful technology executive, Mr. Bossi has been actively engaged with Technology Venture Partners (TVP) and its portfolio companies since 2005, both as an operating executive and a partner with the firm. As CEO of two TVP portfolio companies, Aegis Lightwave and Inlet Technologies, Don was pivotal in leading the expansion efforts of both companies, as well as positioning them for successful acquisitions. Additionally, he serves in key Board and advisory roles across the TVP portfolio.
From 2013 to 2019, Don also served as President of FIRST, the leading global non-profit organization that inspires young people’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and innovation. Mr. Bossi has deep technical and management skills and has had an exceptional 20+ year career leading high-technology companies.
Mr. Bossi started his career as a research scientist, first at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and then at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC). He was part of an advanced project at UTRC that was acquired by JDS Uniphase (JDSU). After a series of promotions at JDSU, he became Vice President and General Manager of JDSU Electro-Optics Products Division that grew ten-fold under his leadership. Don then served as Group President for Active Components and Group President for Transmission Subsystems.
Don holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and attended executive education classes at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and holds four U.S. patents.
Frank W. Smith, Ph.D.
General Partner
Building upon an accomplished technology and business background, Mr. Smith became involved with Technology Venture Partners (TVP) in 2010, when he became Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nistica, Inc., a TVP portfolio company. During his time at Nistica, Frank was a key operating executive with the company during its rapid growth and through its successful acquisition by Fujikura, Ltd. Following his involvement with Nistica, Mr. Smith became a Partner with TVP in 2015.
Prior to joining Nistica, Inc. and TVP, Frank was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Entech Solar, Inc., where he led the growth and business development activities of this diversified solar manufacturing company. In addition, Mr. Smith was also Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Emcore Corporation and General Manager of a $120-million unit of JDS Uniphase Corporation. Over the course of his 20+ year career and while working directly with TVP portfolio companies, Frank has promoted operational and technical excellence coupled with achieving key strategic initiatives for companies at all stages.
Mr. Smith served on the Board of Directors of Princeton Optronics, Inc. and currently serves on the Board of Directors of RedShift BioAnalytics, Inc.
Frank holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical and Chemical Engineering from Yale University