Vernon Lee Jr

Managing Partner at Lightship Anchor Fund

Moderator

Mr. Vernon Lee, Jr., is a Managing Partner in the Lightship Anchor Fund, a global Fund of Funds investing in emerging venture managers in the US, Africa, and Europe as well as late-stage startups.

Prior to joining Lightship, Lee was a founding partner of The Marathon Fund, an early-stage equity fund investing in high-growth businesses. The fund deploys capital to exceptional entrepreneurs that have been historically underrepresented in the private capital markets.

He serves on the Board of Winning.Careers and is an Advisor at FilmHedge and Metabilia.

Mr. Lee founded Brightwood Management Partners, LLC, a disabled Veteran owned advisory firm to several public and privately held companies, investors, entrepreneurs, and entertainment partners.

Mr. Lee chaired the Venture Capital Access Program (VCAP), a partnership between Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of New York (HBSAANY), the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC), and The Marathon Foundation.

Mr. Lee previously served as the U.S. planning committee co-chair for the United States/France Private Equity and Venture Capital Summit in Paris, France. The U.S. delegation, representing over $500 billion (US) in assets under management included several public pension fund investors. Program sponsors included The Senate of the Republic of France, The Greater Paris Investment Agency, The French Venture Capital Association, and U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration (ITA).

Mr. Lee was previously a Director in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) Business Advisory Practice with responsibility for providing operational business improvement strategies, governance, controls, strategic planning, and process reengineering. Mr. Lee also served as PwC’s relationship manager for minority venture capital/private equity initiatives to include increasing access to capital. He was also responsible for leading the implementation of program/project management solutions and methodologies for PwC’s Global Risk Management Solutions. While in this position, Mr. Lee led the global deployment (U.S., UK, Japan, France, & Germany) of an Internet Protocol (IP) VPN for a UK based telecom carrier.

Prior to that position, Mr. Lee was an Air Force acquisition officer in the Satellite Communications Program Office and Aeronautical Systems Center where he provided program management, research & development, and financial management expertise. Mr. Lee received several junior officers of the quarter awards while also being actively involved in the Tuskegee Airman, Inc Military Affairs Committee.

Mr. Lee has been a guest panelist at the Africa Venture Capital Association conference, Super Return Africa Summit, South by Southwest (SXSW), DC Startup Week, Culture Shift Summits, and the PenFed Foundation Veteran Entrepreneur Investment Program. He has been interviewed by Cheddar Media, Rolling Out, and Upcoming Fund Managers as well as a special guest on several podcasts such as Atlanta Startup, Compassionate Capitalist Show, and The Invisible Man.

Mr. Lee is a co-founder of The Hampton Roads Youth Foundation and a co-host of the 757 Roundtable Talk podcast. Guests have included Coach Mike Tomlin, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, Michael Vick, Olympian Francena McCoroy and Kelley Wells Brinkley, numerous NFL players, John Amos, and several congressional and locally elected public officials.

He currently serves on the University of Dayton School of Business Advisory Council and the Antoine Bethea Family Foundation. He is a past board member of the Southeast Fairfax County Development Corporation and past Chair of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc’s (Washington, DC Chapters) Youth Performing Arts/Talent Hunt Committee. He is also past co-chair of the Alfred Street Baptist Church Men’s Ministry Scholarship Endowment Committee.

Mr. Lee received his MA in International Affairs from the University of Dayton and his BBA in Management from Howard University. He is a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He is based in Washington, DC and is married with a daughter and son.