Tod Francis

Who is Tod Francis?

Tod

began his career two decades ago at Johnson Johnson, marketing

Tylenol and related drugs. Excited by the prospect of selling brand-new

goods to consumers, he joined Ram Group Marketing Management, where he

consulted for Pepsi and helped launch new products including Pace

Picante sauce. Later he joined Trinity Ventures as a General Partner,

where he helped build mass-market brands including Jamba Juice and PF

Chang's China Bistro. Tod is perhaps best known for his dedication to

investing in Internet companies even when Internet investments were out

of fashion. Those investments include BabyCenter, which was later

acquired by JJ, and online jewelry retailer Blue Nile which held a

successful IPO in 2004. Tod founded Shasta Ventures in 2003, a $200

million venture capital firm where his focuses on investing in Internet

companies serving the consumer and small business markets. Tod holds a

Bachelors of Science degree in Economics and an MBA both from

Northwestern University.