David S. Rose
David Semel Rose (born June 12, 1957) is an American serial entrepreneur and angel investor, based in New York. He is an investor in startup technology companies and founder of New York Angels, an early-stage technology investment group. He is Managing Partner of Rose Tech Ventures, a venture fund focused on Internet-based business, and CEO of Gust (formerly known as Angelsoft), which operates a collaboration platform for early stage angel investing Rose was involved in the early development of the Silicon Alley technology community in New York, including working with pre-Internet era online data services and founding Ex Machina, a computer software company; The Computer Classroom, an early personal computer training company; and AirMedia, an early wireless Internet information network. In an interview in 2010, Rose stated: "When AirMedia went down it was the single biggest disappointment of my life at that point. I cried myself to sleep." Rose founded and ran a technology incubator in New York City and is a founding member of the Space Angels Network, an international investing group. In 2005, BusinessWeek magazine included an article titled 'The Pitch Coach' about his pitch coaching sessions for entrepreneurs seeking funding from venture capitalists and angel investors. He is an Associate Founder of Singularity University, the post-graduate program in accelerating technologies, and founded and chaired its Finance, Entrepreneurship and Economics track Rose attended New York City public schools and Horace Mann High School. He received his BA in Urban Affairs from Yale University in 1979, his MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School in 1983 and an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology. In 2014, Rose wrote the book Angel Investing: The Gust Guide to Making Money, to give guidance to investors considering investments in startups.