Benetech adds prominent VC to board, makes two key management hires

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Palo Alto, CA, June 12, 2003: Benetech, the leading Silicon Valley technology development nonprofit, announced the addition of a new board member and two new members to its management team today.

Chris Eyre, a leader in Silicon Valley venture capital and philanthropy, has joined Benetech‘s board. Eyre was a founding partner of Merrill Pickard Anderson & Eyre, the pioneering venture capital firm that evolved from Bank of America in the 1970s, and has served on the boards of numerous public and private companies. He is currently managing director of Legacy Venture, a unique venture fund devoted to amplifying the size and effectiveness of philanthropy. Eyre holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from Utah State University. He is an inaugural member of the Philanthropic Workshop West, on the advisory board of the Global Philanthropy Forum, a partner of SVP Bay Area, and a member of several other organizations dedicated to advancing the field of philanthropy.

Tom Rolander, a successful entrepreneur and senior technologist, has joined Benetech as Vice President and Chief Technical Officer. Rolander recently served as Engineering Manager and co-architect for Novell’s award-winning iFolder, an Internet-based file backup and replication tool. He previously served as both the founding CEO and CTO of PGSoft, a software utility developer; Director of R&D for the Desktop Division of Novell; co-founder and CTO of KnowledgeSet, a developer of CD-ROM software; and Vice President of the Operating Systems Division of Digital Research. Rolander holds BS and MS degrees in engineering from the University of Washington.

Finally, Edwin Ou has joined Benetech as a Senior Project Manager, overseeing new project evaluation and fundraising efforts. Ou previously served as Senior Manager of Partner Product Development and of Web Development at Rivio, Inc., a provider of web-based applications for small businesses; co-founded a startup; and was an investment banker in the mergers and acquisitions group of Petrie Parkman & Co. He is also a board member of the Palo Alto Area chapter of the American Red Cross and was a volunteer at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Ou holds a BA in Economics and Biochemistry from Rice University.

Jim Fruchterman, Benetech’s President and CEO, said, “I am delighted to welcome Chris Eyre to our board. He brings a wealth of experience in venture development and philanthropy. I am also thrilled to have Tom Rolander and Edwin Ou joining our management team. All three exemplify what Benetech stands for: experience from high technology ventures applied to serving humanity. These key board and staff additions will help Benetech continue to thrive in the months and years to come.”

About Benetech

The Benetech Initiative is a Silicon Valley nonprofit that develops sustainable, technology-based solutions to address pressing social challenges in areas such as disability, human rights, education and literacy. Many beneficial technologies have compelling social applications that are not developed because such efforts do not meet for-profit investors’ financial expectations. Benetech specifically pursues endeavors with a strong social, rather than financial, rate of return on investment, bringing commercial technology and private sector management techniques to bear in creating innovative, non-traditional solutions to challenging social issues. More information on Benetech and its projects can be found at www.benetech.org or by calling (650) 475-5440.

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