Ron Bernal

Ron is an entrepreneur and business executive who spent the first 24 years of his career in the high-technology operating world and the last 19 years as a venture capitalist. He joined NEA in 2010 as a Venture Partner and focuses on infrastructure software investments. He currently serves on the boards of Cohere Technologies and IonQ and works closely with Big Data Federation, Kumu Networks and Tigera. Previous board memberships include Blue Jeans Network (acquired by Verizon), Boulder Wind Power, Data Domain (acquired by EMC), Datrium (acquired by VMware), Drobo (merged with Connected Data), Gainspeed (acquired by Nokia), HelioVolt, Igneous Systems (acquired by Rubrik), Ketra (acquired by Lutron), Leyden Energy (acquired by A123), Nicira (acquired by VMware), Solidfire (acquired by NetApp) and Uhana (acquired by VMware).

Prior to NEA, Ron was a Partner at Sequel Venture Partners and led the firm's investments in HelioVolt and Buzzwire. Ron previously served as a Venture Partner at Sutter Hill Ventures, where he led the firm's investments in Data Domain, Drobo, ProStor, LifeSize, Indicative and Redseal Systems. Prior to Sutter Hill Ventures, he was Chief of Staff/COO for the Service Provider and Product Technology Group Businesses at Cisco. He joined Cisco as part of the Growth Networks acquisition in 2000, where he was President and CEO. Ron co-founded Growth Networks, an internet switching fabric company, in 1998 while serving as an entrepreneur-in-residence at NEA. Prior to working with NEA, he spent more than seven years with Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) in roles including Senior Vice president and General Manager of the $1 billion-plus server division and President of the MIPS group, the microprocessor subsidiary of SGI. Ron was also Vice President of Engineering and COO of Edge Computer, a computer company he co-founded in 1983.

Ron also holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from DeVry Institute of Technology.