David Barrett, BS ’78, has over 40 years of executive leadership, entrepreneurial & venture investing experience in the technology & healthcare industries.

Dave has been a Managing Partner of Polaris Partners, a venture capital & growth equity firm focused on healthcare technology & life sciences, for over 26 years. He has served as a founder, founding investor, or chair for many of the companies he’s partnered with, as well as a mentor to hundreds of innovators across the country.

Earlier in his career, he helped scale & lead three software companies through industry leadership & public operations, serving as both an entrepreneur & executive.  He has helped to create thousands of jobs and build billions of dollars in market value as an operator & investor.

He serves on the Board of Trustees’ Finance & Facilities and Risk & Compliance committees.

In addition, Dave also serves as Vice Chair of the URI Foundation Board of Directors, on its executive & investment committees, as an Edwards Society advisor to President Parlange, and previously served on the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.

He has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, on its investment committee, and as an advisor to its venture investment efforts for over 17 years.