Venture First
Rob Penta has extensive work experience in various roles and companies. Rob is currently the General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, and Director at Venture First since August 2018. Additionally, they hold the position of Managing General Partner at Whiskey Capital Finance Fund II since March 2023. Rob has also served as the General Partner at Strike Ventures since January 2020 and as the Chief Legal Officer and Board Member at Whiskey Capital Finance Co. since February 2019. Furthermore, Rob is the General Partner at Future Labs Capital, LLC since January 2021 and a Member of the Board of Directors at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since July 2022. Rob also functions as an Investor and Board Observer at GoodMaps since December 2021 and as a Member of the Board of Directors at Forecastr Inc. since January 2020. Additionally, Rob serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, and Governance Committee at Francis Parker School of Louisville since January 2020. Prior to these positions, they have been the CEO of BE Ballistics Holdings, LLC / NetBallistics LLC since June 2015, where they oversee defense-related operations such as procurement, importation, manufacturing, and sale of weapon systems and other defense articles for the U.S.
Rob Penta received their Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Business from Indiana University Bloomington in 2003. Rob then went on to pursue a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at Wake Forest University School of Law from 2003 to 2006. In September 2006, they obtained their Attorney certification from the Kentucky Bar Association. Additionally, in June 2016, they obtained a certification as a Glock Certified Armorer from GLOCK PROFESSIONAL INC.
Venture First
Venture First is a boutique financial services group focused on empowering entrepreneurs. At its core, our team believes that innovation is the cornerstone of a healthy economy and an improving society. Venture First works tirelessly to provide innovative companies and their investors with the financial and strategic tools to be successful. Its professionals have worked closely with hundreds of cutting-edge companies and have considerable experience working with technology and healthcare companies. Venture First was established in 2009 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. After working extensively with early and growth-stage companies as an investor, advisor, and operator, founder and CEO John Shumate identified a need for high-end valuation and analytics services at reasonable price. With the belief that small companies operating on a shoestring budget deserve the same sophisticated financial services as their larger counterparts, John set out to develop a superior technology platform and analytical bench that could deliver Wall Street quality services at Midwest prices. The result is a specialty financial services firm that caters to high-growth venture-backed companies from Silicon Valley to Research Triangle Park. By leveraging its proprietary set of rapid-fire analytical tools and combining a vast array of quality data, Venture First’s team delivers market-leading services at prices that accommodate most budgets.