Thomas S. Porter


Tom Porter has a broad range of experience in founding, managing and advising successful technology growth companies. He co-founded and is a General Partner Emeritus in EDF Ventures®, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based venture capital firm investing in early stage market driven companies in health care and information technology. At EDF he managed the health care practice where he served as interim Chief Executive Officer for several health care companies in the portfolio, and was a founder of five companies, two of which are now public companies: Theragen, Inc., a gene therapy company subsequently merged with GenVec, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNVC); and IntraLase Corp. (NASDAQ: ILSE), a developer of next-generation lasers for ophthalmic refractive (“Lasik”) surgery. He currently serves as a Director of IntraLase Corp and Incept BioSystems, Inc. He previously has held Board positions for numerous health care and software companies.
As a venture capitalist, he received the University of Michigan, Growth Capital Symposium’s annual “Leaders and Best Award” for excellence in venture capital investing and the Michigan Venture Capital Association’s inaugural award for “Best Venture Capital Success of the Year.” He has also served as a Mentor for the Kauffman Foundation's Venture Capital Fellows Program
His previous experience includes serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of Environmental Research Group, Inc., which he helped build to be one of the nation's leading environmental monitoring firms. Porter has also held various marketing management positions in Procter & Gamble and other consumer products companies.
He is active in assisting Universities and leading research institutions in the commercialization of technology (“technology transfer”) and serves as Chairman of Van Andale Institute’s Technology Advisory Board, Co-Chairman of the Michigan University Commercialization Initiative (“MUCI”), and a member of the University of Michigan’s National Technology Transfer Advisory Board.
Porter is also active at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan where he is the first Executive-In-Residence for the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and where he has taught a class on managing the growth of new ventures since 1994. He has been a member of the Corporate Advisory Board for the School since 1992. In 2001 he was awarded the Business School’s Bert Wertman Service Award for his contributions to the Business School.
Porter holds an MBA degree from the University of Michigan. His bachelor’s degree is from DePauw University where he also serves as a Director of the McDermond Management Center.
E-mail: tporter@trilliumventures.com.