Event Innovation
25900 Stinger Drive
Chantilly, VA 20152
Phone: 202-253-6996
e-mail: steve@eventinnovation.com

Stephen is a serial entrepreneur, noted software designer and inventor, and angel investor. As a co-founder of Blackboard Inc. he directed the company's initial original vision, planning, strategy, development and sales and marketing efforts. During his ten-year tenure (since the company's founding), he has provided both strategic and tactical leadership, mentoring and direction for many departments within the company.

Mr. Gilfus' efforts laid the foundation for the growth of many internal departments and strategic initiatives He worked cross-organizationally within Blackboard as a facilitator and change agent and continues to drive Blackboard's internal strategic growth and development. Stephen directed the development efforts around the product that is now core to the Blackboard platform (U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138). In addition, he has authored numerous articles and white papers and was the primary author of the Educational Technology Framework - sometimes referred to as "the
Gilfus Model of educational technology adoption".

His expertise managing fast growth Internet software companies coupled with his entrepreneurial passion has been critical to Blackboard's success and ability to become a public company (Nasdaq: BBBB). Stephen has been noted as being instrumental to the development of the eLearning market space and making Blackboard a leading provider of e-Learning software and services. He has presented and keynoted several leading global industry conferences and has lectured on teaching and learning on the Internet and the growing online learning marketplace at hundreds of academic institutions within the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, and Latin America.

Stephen is also General Partner of GV (Gilfus Ventures LLC.), a small private equity firm with investments in several internet start-up companies including Upsideover.com and Weddingwire.com.

Mr. Gilfus holds a B.S degree from Cornell University where he was an academic scholar. He is a member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, advisory council member for Entrepreneurship@Cornell, and founder of the Cornell Entrepreneur Organization.