Del Johnson is a venture capital investor, tech writer, and keynote speaker who builds organizations that identify outlier talent beyond the reach of traditional networks and signals. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley and Columbia Law School, Del declined his big law firm offer to join Backstage Capital, a VC fund dedicated to eliminating tech disparities through investing in high-potential underrepresented founders.
As part of the Kauffman Foundation and Indie.vc's "verified scout program," Del deploys $25,000 - $50,000 investment checks into high-potential early stage companies. At Backstage Capital, Del led the fund’s scouting, diligence, and operations in New York. He remains close to the fund in a consulting capacity while he builds his own structure. To date, his funds have invested over $7 million into over 100 startups led by founders from groups traditionally overlooked by venture capitalists.