Mel Williams

Co-founder and General Partner at TrueBridge Capital

Speaker

Mel Williams has been investing in private equity for over 20 years and is also a seasoned entrepreneur. Before founding TrueBridge in 2007 to focus solely on venture capital, he co-founded UNC Management Company (UNCMC), where he helped manage over $2 billion of endowment capital for the University of North Carolina and other North Carolina-based institutions.

At UNCMC, Mel had primary portfolio management responsibility for all illiquid asset classes, including the venture portfolio. He formed strong ties with many of the industry’s top-performing managers, which he has continued to deepen at TrueBridge.

Prior to UNCMC, Mel helped co-found two venture-backed companies. He also spent time as an entrepreneur-in-residence with Commonwealth Capital Ventures in Boston.

Throughout his career, Mel has served on the advisory boards of numerous private capital partnerships. He regularly teaches as a guest lecturer at UNC and Duke University. He received his MBA from Harvard University and his BA with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2012, he was named an Honorary Kauffman Fellow by the Center for Venture Education, in appreciation of his contribution and commitment to the Kauffman Fellows Program.