Biography
Joe Zell is a retired venture investor, board member, and former operating executive with over 18 years as a General Partner at Grotech Ventures, where he participated in four funds totaling $900 million, led 22 investments, and served on 25 boards. His investment focus spanned sectors such as communications, SaaS, IT infrastructure, security, and digital media, resulting in successful exits including LogRhythm, Broadsoft, and Cloud Elements. Prior to Grotech, Joe had a 20-year operating career, including executive roles at Convergent Communications and US West Communications, where he helped grow the data networking division to $2.5 billion in annual revenue. He has also served on public company boards and currently advises startups, mentored for Boardbound and Techstars, and contributes to conservation through The Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited. Joe lives in Colorado with his wife, Christine and enjoys fishing, guitar, golf, tennis, biking, and travel, and is a proud father of four adult children.
