Something Ventured

Something Ventured is a 2011 documentary film investigating the emergence of American venture capitalism in the mid-20th Century. Something Ventured follows the stories of the venture capitalists who worked with entrepreneurs to start and build companies like Apple, Intel, Genentech, Cisco, Atari, Tandem, and others. Something Ventured is a full-length independent film which includes interviews with prominent American venture capitalists and entrepreneurs of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, as well as archival photography and footage. The film has aired across the US on local PBS stations as well as on public television in Norway. The film is available on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon.com and from Zeitgeist Films.

Something Ventured features the venture capitalists Arthur Rock, Tom Perkins, Don Valentine, Dick Kramlich, Reid Dennis, Bill Draper, Pitch Johnson, Bill Bowes, Bill Edwards, and Jim Gaither. The entrepreneurs featured in Something Ventured are Gordon Moore (co-founder of Intel), Jimmy Treybig (founder of Tandem), Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari), Dr. Herbert Boyer (co-founder of Genentech), Mike Markkula (second president/CEO of Apple), Sandy Lerner (co-founder of Cisco), John Morgridge (early CEO of Cisco), and Robert Campbell (founder of what would become PowerPoint).

Narrated by author Po Bronson, Something Ventured premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2011. Something Ventured was conceived by Paul Holland of Foundation Capital, who executive produced the film with co-executive producer Molly Davis of Rainmaker Communications. Something Ventured was directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine (co-directors of Ballets Russes. Something Ventured’s North American distribution partner is Zeitgeist Films.

Production

Executive Producer: Paul Holland and Molly Davis

Director: Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller

Producer: Dayna Goldfine, Dan Geller and Celeste Schaefer Snyder

Editor: Jen Bradwell and Gary Weimberg

Original Music and Score: Laura Karpman

Narrator: Po Bronson

Cinematography: Dan Geller

Sound: Richard Beggs

Press

• 'Something Ventured' April 24, 2011. San Francisco Chronicle.
• 'Something Ventured' KQED Radio. April 22, 2011.
• When Venture Capital Was an Adventure Inc. April 22, 2011.
• 'Something Ventured' tells story of tech investors San Francisco Chronicle. April 18, 2011.
• Directors Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller on John Stossel show - FOX Business on YouTube Fox Business. April 14, 2011.
• SXSW Reviews-Something Ventured Variety. April 3, 2011.
• Holland Says New Film Features Early Venture Capitalists: Video Bloomberg Television. March 18, 2011.
• Venture Capitalism, A Love Story Fox Business. March 16, 2011.
• A Risk Worth Taking The Dylan Ratigan Show. March 15, 2011.
• SXSW: “Something Ventured” Directors Talk Venture Capital Early Days TechNewsDaily. March 15, 2011.
• The Good Guys in Business CNBC. March, 14th, 2011.
• Talking with the Directors of 'Something Ventured' NBC. Austin, TX. March 12, 2011.
• Veni Vidi Venture: The unlikely heroes of big business The Austin Chronicle. March 11, 2011.
• A Film About Capitalism, and (Surprise) It’s A Love Story The New York Times. March 7, 2011.

External links

• Official Webpage
• Something Ventured at the Internet Movie Database