Mike Gausling

About Mike Gausling

Serial entrepreneur and venture capital investor who has a strong financial, deal making, and operational background with a bias to investing his time and energies with early stage technology entrepreneurs and to help them navigate the path from start-up to substantial exits. Extensive experience as an entrepreneur and investor, and board member for numerous public and non-profit entities.Founder and Managing Partner of One Putt Ventures a family Office focused on an eclectic mix of venture capital investing, C-level advisory services, and social entrepreneurship. To date, Mike has led financing rounds totaling almost $20 million in venture capital investments.Co-founder and Managing Partner of Originate Ventures Originate is an early stage venture capital fund which invested in early stage and emerging growth technology companies. Since its inception in 2007, the Fund invested more than $45.3 million in 17 start-up companies. In most cases, Originate was the first institutional money in the deals and Mike served as a board member, mentor, and deal maker for many of those portfolio companies. To-date, the Fund has returned almost $142.5 million to its investors and expects to deliver an additional $13 million from the active portfolio companies. Co-founder and former CEO of OraSure Technologies During his tenure, he helped build the Company from a start-up to more than $50 million in annual sales and a market cap of more than $500 million over a 17-year period. The Company was best known for developing and securing FDA approval for the first rapid oral fluid HIV test in the world. Has had many active C-level experiences as both a CEO and a board member in private, public, and non-profit organizations. Public company experiences include OraSure Technologies, as its co-founder, CEO and Board member and at KNBT Bank, now Truist Bank, as its Audit Chair and as a member of its Executive, Loan, and Compensation Committees.In his role as a social entrepreneur, Mike has tried to leverage his financially oriented skills in game changing projects that have driven job creation, economic well being, sheltering, and food access in the local community. The most visible projects include his role as Chairman of Lehigh Valley Industrial Park and former Board member and Treasurer for the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV.org).

Experience

1. Managing Partner

   Originate Ventures

   May 2007 — Present · Bethlehem, PA, US

   Is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Originate Ventures LLC Originate is an early stage venture capital fund which invested in early stage and emerging growth technology companies. Since its inception in 2007, the Fund invested more than $45.3 million in 17 start-up companies. In most cases, Originate was the first institutional money in the deals and Mike served as a board member, mentor, and deal maker for many of those portfolio companies. To-date, the Fund has returned almost $142.5 million to its investors and expects to deliver an additional $13 million from the active portfolio companies.

Education

• Miami University

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance

  1982 — 1983

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  BSME, Mechanical Engineering

  1977 — 1980

Skills

• Management
• Start-Up Ventures
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Strategic Partnerships
• Investments
• Venture Capital
• Public Speaking
• Business Development
• Business Planning
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Entrepreneurship
• Business Strategy
• Fda
• Due Diligence
• Strategy
• Product Development
• Management Consulting
• Financial Modeling
• New Business Development
• Angel Investing
• Finance
• Marketing Strategy
• Strategic Planning
• Negotiation
• Start-Ups
• Commercialization
• Corporate Finance
• Private Equity
• Funding
• Corporate Development
• Financial Analysis
• Small Business