Rob Miles –

Born: February 2, 1960 in Utica, N.Y.

Education: BS in Physics from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; PhD and MS in Applied Physics from CalTech.

Career Path: Rob Miles is a general partner with Vortex Capital. He is a former entrepreneur-in-residence and venture partner with Sevin Rosen Funds. Prior to Sevin Rosen, Rob was with McKinsey & Co. where he focused on product/market strategy and process reengineering for high tech firms for four years. He also has held interim executive and operating positions in several of the early stage companies he has funded

Venture Focus: Optical Networking, Semiconductors

Investments:Parsec Communications, Digital Furnace (acquired by Broadcom), Optical Micro-Machines, Clarendon Photonics, and Siliconwave. p>

Greatest Accomplishment: Taking an intimate role (CEO, VP,Chairman) in starting several companies (writing business plans,introductions to customers and VCs) that have gone on to “big things”(i.e. acquisitions …).

Biggest Mistake: Not identifying untrustworthy individuals fast enough.

If you weren’t a VC, you’d be a? Scientist or an architect (I love to watch tangible things being built).

Pet Peeve: People without integrity.

Did You Know? An avid power lifter in college, Rob was ranked 3rd nationally and had the label the “pound-for-pound” the strongest guy at the US Naval Academy)