Steve has had a long and successful career in venture capital, investment banking, and technology, spanning more than 20 years. From 1997 until earlier this year, he was a Managing Director/Managing General Partner with Walden Venture Capital, where he was responsible for building Walden’s digital media and technology practice. During that period, he led successful investments and exits in many companies, such as AdKnowledge (acquired by CMGI for $250 million), BlueLithium (acquired by Yahoo! for $300 million), Cybertrust, (acquired by Verizon for $450 million) and DigitalThink (DTHK, which attained a market capitalization in excess of $2 billion before selling to Convergys). He also was responsible for raising two funds totaling more than $300 million from both institutional and strategic investors.

Steve joined Walden from Alex. Brown & Sons, where he worked for seven years as a Managing Director and founder of Alex. Brown's New Media Group. At Alex. Brown, he was directly involved in financing and sponsoring a wide range of media technology companies. In addition to leading America Online's IPO, Alex. Brown handled the public offerings and private placements of BBN, Broderbund Software, CBT Systems/SmartForce, Creative Technology, Electronic Arts, GartnerGroup, Gemstar International, InfoSeek, Lycos, Macromedia, and Sylvan Learning Systems, among others. In both 1995 and 1996, he was selected by The Wall Street Journal as an All-Star software analyst and stock picker, ranking #1 in 1995 (with a 90%+ return) and #5 in 1996 (with a 130% return).

From 1985 through 1990, Steve was an IBM marketing representative, selling the complete line of IBM hardware, software, and services to major Wall Street accounts. These accounts generated yearly revenue of $100 million, and he led and coordinated teams of up to 40 persons providing 24x7 support.

In early 2007, Steve personally co-led a $2 million private round in Hands-On Video Relay Services, a Sacramento, CA-based company providing innovative communication services to the deaf and hard-of-hearing market. During 2007, he joined the Board of Directors and helped the company execute on a growth strategy. In early 2008, Hands-On successfully entered into a three-way merger with GoAmerica (GOAM) and a division of Verizon (VZ), generating an eightfold return in less than one year. Steve has since joined the board of GOAM and serves as the chairman of its compensation committee.

Steve is interested in investing in capital-efficient companies in two areas - digital media and technology-enabled services. He is particularly attracted to companies that “do well by doing good” (like GoAmerica) as well as micro-cap public companies. (At Walden, Steve was instrumental in developing and executing a strategy to invest in microcap public companies by taking activist or board positions in select stocks.)

During his career, Steve has built a strong network of operating executives, consultants, and co-investors who bring significant value to the companies in which he invests.

In addition to GoAmerica, Steve currently serves on the Board of Directors of Iconoculture and Real Girls Media and is an active member of the Israeli Venture Network, a venture philanthropy network of executives in the United States and Israel.

Steve graduated cum laude with a BS in Applied Math from Union College in 1983 and received his MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1985. He lives in Hillsborough with his wife, Tracy, and his three children - Alexis, Barrett, and Zachary. He can be reached at steve [at] eskenazifamily.com.

Click here to view a recent interview with Steve.