# Tom Walker

> Tom Walker is the founding president and CEO of Rev1 Ventures, now its executive chairman, and founder and CEO of R1 Capital. Based in Columbus, Ohio, he combines an engineering background with decades in venture development, early-stage investment, and founder support. His career spans Battelle, Oklahoma's i2E, angel-investor organizations, and the transformation of TechColumbus into Rev1. He wrote The Entrepreneur's Path: A Handbook for High-Growth Companies.

- **Role:** Executive Chairman at Rev1 Ventures; Founder and CEO at R1 Capital (also styled Founder & Managing Partner on R1 Capital’s team page)
- **Organizations:** Rev1 Ventures, R1 Capital, TechColumbus, i2E, Battelle Memorial Institute, Angel Capital Association, SeedStep Angels
- **Education:** B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Master of Business Administration, Oklahoma City University
- **Known for:** Founding president and CEO of Rev1 Ventures and founder of R1 Capital., Founding board member of the Angel Capital Association and founder of SeedStep Angels., Authored The Entrepreneur’s Path: A Handbook for High-Growth Companies.

## Career timeline

- **1992** — Completed engineering undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma; began his career at Battelle as a research scientist, later moving into business development.
- **1998** — Became a founding member of i2E in Oklahoma.
- **1999** — Launched his first investment fund, according to his later account.
- **2007** — Became president and CEO of i2E.
- **2010** — Published The Entrepreneur's Path: A Handbook for High-Growth Companies through i2E.
- **2012** — Joined TechColumbus as CEO after leading i2E.
- **2015** — Announced the formal TechColumbus rebrand to Rev1 Ventures on March 10.
- **2016** — Testified before the U.S. Joint Economic Committee on July 12 about entrepreneurship and startup support.
- **2026** — R1 Capital launched as an independent venture firm on June 3 with Walker as CEO.
- **2026** — By September 15, served as Rev1 executive chairman as Jennifer Hankins was named president and CEO.

## Achievements

- Founding president and CEO of Rev1 Ventures and founder of R1 Capital.
- Founding board member of the Angel Capital Association and founder of SeedStep Angels.
- Authored The Entrepreneur’s Path: A Handbook for High-Growth Companies.
- Testified before the U.S. Congress on entrepreneurship and venture capital.
- Helped build the Rev1 platform, which reported supporting more than 1,700 startups and funding more than 200 unique companies by September 2026; these are organizational totals.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Rev1 announced Jennifer Hankins as president and CEO, identifying Walker as executive chairman.
- **2026-06** — R1 Capital publicly launched as a separate venture firm led by Walker, continuing to collaborate with Rev1.
- **2026-05** — Published The Long Game in Early-stage Investing, discussing time, adaptability, and investing across possible futures.

## Links

- Website: https://r1funds.com/who-we-are/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdwalker

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tom-walker
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21