David L. Potter
Partner
Boston, MA
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“This is how companies succeed: thoroughly understand customer demand hierarchies, anticipate the next industry brand cycle, aggressively develop and launch best in class new product categories, and back them with superior media execution.”
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Dave’s career is split between senior marketing/brand management positions with divisions of Fortune 200 consumer and financial services companies, new venture leadership, hands-on advisory work with young medical and consumer technology ventures, and accelerating the commercialization of intellectual property created at leading research universities.
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Dave served in senior leadership roles for 3 high-promise young health tech companies based upon research from Temple University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Rhode Island - two have exited successfully so far. Technology domains include pulmonary monitoring and analytics, novel point-of-care clinical diagnostics, and combination therapeutics. Immediately before joining Sage Partners, he served 4 years as Senior Director of Technology Transfer at Brown University, where he worked closely with star life sciences faculty members on advancing the commercialization of their innovations. Models included licensing drug candidates to major pharmas and working closely with spinout startups on all phases of commercialization. Once startup recently debuted on NASDAQ, the first Brown innovation to do so.
Dave began his career by climbing the marketing/brand management ladder with divisions of Textron, General Mills (Parker Brothers Games), and eventually served as Director of Marketing for Swarovski Jewelry North America. Following Swarovsky’s Conversations™ winning Best New U.S Fashion Brand recognition, Dave next tackled the emerging world of internet-enabled telehealth by leading the commercialization of the University of Rhode Island’s first life sciences spinout. Pro-Change Behavior Systems Inc. became a recognized pioneer in telehealth patient self-management. Pro-Change was acquired by Wellness Industry leader American Healthways Inc.
Dental Medicine International, a spinout from Temple University, was Dave’s next leadership role. As a restart CEO, he rebranded the company as Previser Health Solutions, oversaw the expansion of the analytics and physician-facing platform, and closed two venture rounds from Ignition Partners, leading to a successful pilot with Delta Dental. Previser was acquired by Yankee Delta Dental and remains recognized as the best-in-class platform for optimal oral care treatment.
Dave’s wife Mary is a practicing clinical psychologist. While not working, Dave and Mary spend most of their time following the exploits of a combined family of 2 adult children, 9 siblings, and 17 nieces and nephews, along with sailing with friends on Narragansett Bay and Maine’s Casco Bay.
Dave received his MBA from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School and is a devoted alumnus of Bowdoin College, where he captained the varsity sailing team.
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