Dave Welch

Dave is a passionate entrepreneur that loves his family and the world and society he lives in. Dave’s belief in the ingenuity of leaders and entrepreneurs, and that they are the solutions for the 21st Century. He has founded NosTerra Ventures along with his co-founders with an aspiration to solve some of the Grand Challenges through the harnessing and enablement of a team of entrepreneurs.

Being a serial entrepreneur in both business and in social endeavors, Dave started his career as an early employee and executive leader for SDL, INC (SDLI). More recently he co-founded Infinera (INFN) in 2001, and currently serves as Chief Innovation Officer and member of the Board of Directors. Both SDL and Infinera are examples of clear technology leadership creating a dramatic change in the optical communication networks. Dave is also a social entrepreneur. In 2010 he founded Students Matter which has played a significant role in the protection of children’s rights to a quality public education. He is a board member for NRDC, the leading environmental policy organization, he is a founding member of the 21st Century Alliance which is dedicated to advancing of policies for a better California for all and was also the founder of Secure California’s Energy Future, focused at increased reliability, reduced cost and sustainable energy supply for California.

Dave is a member of the National Academy of Engineering in recognition for his many contributions and awards from the engineering community. Dave holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, where he currently sits on the respective advisory board as well as the advisory board for Caltech.

Most importantly, Dave is part of a wonderful family. It is his legacy to his family that drives him to leave behind a better society. In addition to spending time with his wife and children he passionately enjoys the outdoors. Sailing, hiking, biking, skiing, whatever is in season. Dave believes in the joy of continuous learning and is usually embarking on a new topic, be it continuing his music lessons, or picking a new topic for studies.