Doug Graham — Disruptor Awards

Doug Graham, a serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of prominent economic, societal and technological disruption, complemented with venture capital investment in high technology. Doug is a NYC venture capital investor who identifies companies revolutionizing their industries. He works with venture capital, private equity firms and high-net worth individuals to create an ecosystem for growth.

Previously, Doug started Detroit Technology Ventures, LLC. (DTV, LLC), a private equity/ venture capital firm dedicated to advanced technologies in the automotive industry. DTV, LLC would buy, invest and turn-around automotive technology companies that have distressed or promising technologies and invest (Series A and beyond) in early-stage automotive technologies advancing ‘the transportation experience’.

Previously, Doug was Economic Development Director for Detroit Renaissance, Inc. (the foremost private Economic Development Agency for the State of Michigan led by the CEO’s of the largest businesses in Michigan). During his 12 year tenure as Economic Development Director, he led Detroit’s business community to successfully attain federal Empowerment Zone Status for the City of Detroit. Doug raised $1.2 Billion in business/foundation commitments towards achieving this award. The Federal Empowerment Zone designation acted as ‘the catalyst for change’ in Detroit’s revival. In addition, Doug worked on over $3 Billion of economic development initiatives including the building of the Detroit Lions stadium, the Detroit Tigers stadium (Comerica Park), the Brush Park neighborhood development, and the Campus Martius, mixed use development project (currently the Quicken Loans headquarters).

Doug serves as a director on numerous for-profit and not for profit organizations in Detroit and in NYC. Doug holds a BA cum laude in Economics and Psychology from Dartmouth College.