Event Detail

After founding four companies and working at top firms in VC and PE, David Whorton has spent the last 11 years exploring and developing the concept of the Evergreen company—one built to last privately over one hundred years. The Evergreen company stands in contrast to those that are being built to flip to generate wealth for a small few. Instead, Evergreen companies are being built with very long planning horizons and the commitment to share their success with their employees and their communities. The Evergreen companies that David has served since starting Tugboat Institute span from founder-led to ninth generation CEOs (over 300 years old), in every industry you can imagine including highly competitive software markets, and in almost every state in North America, plus Australia, Chile, China, Estonia, and the UK.

In David’s lecture, he will share his learning journey, briefly discuss the current state of venture capital and private equity and their playbooks, and outline the opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned in creating and scaling these Evergreen companies. David believes that Evergreen companies represent capitalism at its best, and the highest calling for the companies of any aspiring entrepreneur who wants to make a dent in the universe. Through his talk, he will strive to bring a fresh perspective, inspiration, guidance, and hope to the alumni and students at UC Berkeley.