Jeff Stevenson
founded Provino in late 2007. He is a partner and winemaker for Herrerias Cellars, a small, artisan winery producing
Gold Medal winning wines since 1987 from locally grown Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet, Syrah, Malbec and Tempernillo. Jeff
was a founding member of the Petaluma Gap, a newly created appellation in Sonoma County that recognizes the outstanding quality of Pinot Noir
and other varietals produced in this region. His winemaking experience ranges from managing
picking, acquiring fruit, and bottling 800 cases per year -- and all steps in between.
Jeff also has over 30 years of business experience in sales, venture capital, business development,
electrical engineering, programming and software/information
technology. In addition to founding Provino, he is a
partner/founder of North Bay Adobe Associates LLC, a real estate
development company. Previously a general partner with Alcatel Ventures
LLP, the venture arm of French telecom company Alcatel AG, Jeff
opened the Silicon Valley office and headed up all deal sourcing
and investment activity for venture. He is no stranger to
startup companies; he joined Internet giants NetManage and Netscape Communications when those companies were
both initially founded. He participated in the IPO's of each,
which were both the most successful IPOs in history at that
time. He was Sr. Vice President of Sales for RealNames
Corporation - a brand marketing company - and managed the direct
and telesales staff of over 125 salespeople. He also founded
Venture Crossing, a venture consulting and investment company,
where he helped several early stage startup companies raise over
$50 million dollars from tier 1 VC investors.
Jeff plays organ and keyboards for the
rock/funk band "The
7 Zins" and performs for
festivals, winemaker dinners and wine club events. He
also is the
Founder & Chairman of
The
Porsche Racing Club and
races his car whenever time permits.
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