Ted is a board partner with Cowboy, helping our portfolio companies to grow and thrive. In addition to his work at Cowboy, Ted is the founder of Stoked Advisors, an executive coaching service dedicated to helping founders and other executives reach their full potential.
Prior to Cowboy, Ted was recognized as one of the country’s leading technology lawyers working with a number of top startup companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Square, Zuora and Gusto. Enthusiastic and intellectually curious, Ted’s passion is sharing the learnings from his career with entrepreneurs.
Ted is a Duke Blue Devil, a wandering traveler, a DJ for old people who still like to dance, a low skill but high energy outdoorsman, and an overly emotionally committed local sports fan. Ted is also active in the community, particularly around the areas of mental health and homelessness. He has two children, a patient and understanding wife, and the perfect dog named Hank.
What’s your favorite book?
My all time favorite book is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty. Naturally, it’s a cowboy story about two longtime friends leading a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in the early 19th century. It’s a classic epic tale of overcoming adversity with adventure at every turn.
Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
The Enthusiast. Through my own coaching journey I learned about the Enneagram which is a lens through which to view personality types. My own dominant type is the #7 which is typically referred to as the Enthusiast. I tap into my energy to help teams I work with stay positive through the difficult times which inevitably come in every startup journey.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
Helping founders to grow. The best founders are learning animals, by which I mean that they are continually engaged in a process of learning and iterating. Whether it’s trying to find the best direct marketing channel, how to become a better manager or even where the best place to go for a burger in South Park, the founders whom I’ve seen become most successful are extraordinarily open and curious and vacuums for new information.
