Board of Directors
The IP Commerce Board of Directors is comprised of highly respected business executives with combined experience leading emerging software, payments, and telecommunications companies.
Alfred ‘Chip’ Kahn IV
IP Commerce
IP Commerce founder and CEO Chip Kahn exemplifies entrepreneurialism, with an impressive track record of identifying business opportunities and developing innovative strategies to address market needs. Mr. Kahn also serves on the advisory board for BroadHop, Inc., a broadband services software company. Full Bio
Derek Pilling
Meritage Funds
Derek Pilling joined Meritage in 2003 and serves on the firm’s Investment Committee. He currently serves as a Director of Meritage portfolio companies Crisp Wireless and IP Commerce. From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Pilling was Director of Strategic Development at netLibrary, a venture-backed internet media company, where he was responsible for setting strategic direction, managing internal strategic initiatives, fundraising and partnering, and merger and acquisition activity. In 2000, Mr. Pilling led the company’s acquisition of a digital textbook platform and in 2001 assumed day-to-day operating responsibility for the group. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Pilling was a senior analyst at The Wallach Company, a boutique investment banking firm, where he supported the firm’s sell-side merger and acquisition and capital formation work, principally with technology-based clients. From 1993 to 1995, he was an analyst in the Investment Banking division of A.G. Edwards and Sons, Inc. Mr. Pilling earned a B.A. in Business from Indiana University in 1994. He earned his M.B.A. in 2003 from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University, graduating with high honors.
David Solomon
Meritage Funds
David Solomon is an Operating Partner with Meritage Funds, a Denver-based family of communications-oriented venture capital funds. Initially, he served as CEO of NuVox, where he grew the company from less than $1 million to over $150 million in annual revenues. In 2004, NuVox merged with NewSouth Communications, creating an entity with over $300 million in revenue. A Certified Public Accountant with a strong operational and financial background, Mr. Solomon was a partner with KPMG Peat Marwick before joining Brooks Fiber Properties, shortly after the company's formation in 1993. He's a member of the American Institute and Tennessee Society of CPAs, and serves on the Board of Trustees for David Lipscomb University.
Mike Brooks
Venrock
Mike has been a General Partner with Venrock since 2000 and has been an active venture capital investor for over 25 years. During his career, he spent 11 years with Morgan Stanley & Co, where he was the Managing Director responsible for the firm’s investment banking activities with emerging growth and technology companies, and 15 years with J.H. Whitney & Co. where he served as Managing Partner of the firm. His extensive background in finance and investments provides entrepreneurs in enterprise software, financial services and digital media with unique insights into managing and financing rapidly growing businesses. He has been recognized on the Forbes Midas list and has served as a director of the National Venture Capital Association. Mike has his B.A. from Yale and MBA from Harvard Business School. Mike currently serves on the Boards of Pipeline Trading, Semtek and Virgin Money.