Innovate.
Disrupt.
Transform.
Repeat.

As President and Managing Partner of Cobalt Ventures, Dave leads an investment team focused on companies that improve access, affordability and quality of care for healthcare consumers. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of RecoveryOne and Nymbl Science, and is a Board Observer for AristaMD, OncoHealth, Scipher Medicine and Solera Health. Dave also serves as a Vice President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City supporting strategy, innovation and corporate development.

Dave has over 25 years of experience working with healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs as a venture capital investor, board member and strategic advisor. Prior to joining Cobalt, he was a founding Partner at Cleveland Clinic Ventures where he collaborated with key enterprise stakeholders on strategic investments, spinouts and joint ventures supporting digital health innovation at the #2 ranked hospital in the world. From 1999-2017, Dave was a founding member and Managing Partner of Psilos Group, a leading healthcare venture capital firm with approximately $600 million under management.

In addition to his investing roles, Dave’s background includes various senior operating roles at Caregiver Services, Inc. (a Psilos portfolio company) during periods of transformational growth at the company. Earlier in his career, Dave was an investment banker at Wasserstein Perella & Co. as a member of the firm’s Healthcare Group. Dave earned an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He holds another master’s degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Government and International Relations from Cornell University, where he graduated magna cum laude.

In his spare time Dave is an avid runner and cyclist – and in less healthy pursuits, a grilling enthusiast and craft beer connoisseur. With his recent move to Kansas City, he has shamelessly jumped on the Chiefs bandwagon after spending much of his life as a long-suffering fan of the Washington Football Team.

As Principal for Cobalt Ventures, Ben manages the full transaction lifecycle of venture capital investments, including sourcing, due diligence, investment evaluation, and portfolio company growth support. He is a Board Observer for Bicycle Health and supported Cobalt’s investment in OncoHealth.

Ben has more than 10 years of investing and operating experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to joining Cobalt, he was part of the team that founded CVS Health Ventures, where he invested in several successful digital health startups, including Unite Us, Oui Therapeutics, and vita health. Previously, he served as a corporate strategy and transaction advisory services consultant with Palladium, where he also helped establish their corporate venture capital fund. He has personally been a seed-stage investor in more than 30 companies since 2010 and frequently advises startup founders on product and growth strategy. He is a member of the Flare Capital Scholars Class of 2020.

Ben received a master’s degree in International Business and Diplomacy from New York University and a bachelor’s in International Political Economics from Washington & Lee University, where he was captain of the wrestling team, and an Academic All-American.

Ben is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth – Kansas City chapter, and a former board member of the Impact Capital Forum in New York City.

When he is not partnering with founders to help build the next successful healthcare company, Ben enjoys salsa dancing, sailing, Boston (and Kansas City) sports, and reading books on economics, history, psychology, philosophy and theoretical physics. Ben is fluent in Spanish and while he calls the United States home, he has lived and worked across the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Phillip joined Cobalt Ventures in 2017 and, in his role as Principal, is involved in the evaluation and execution of new investment opportunities as well as all aspects of portfolio management. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Nymbl, PayForward, and Imaging Development Partners.

Phillip has nearly 15 years of financial services experience – both as an institutional investor and an investment banker. Prior to joining Cobalt, Phillip was a Vice President with Petro Capital Securities, a boutique oil and gas-focused investment bank in Dallas, TX, where he focused primarily on the origination and execution of mergers, acquisitions, and private placement transactions. He began his career within the investment banking group of Southwest Securities (now, Hilltop Securities), also based in Dallas, TX. Phillip earned a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from the University of Kansas.

Outside of work, Phillip is a proud husband and father, enjoys traveling with his young family, is an avid golfer, and, as a Kansas City-native and fourth generation Jayhawk, a lifelong fan of the University of Kansas and his hometown sports teams.

Jill joined Cobalt Ventures in 2021 as the firm’s Executive Assistant and Office Manager. She supports the entire investment team and plays a key role in coordinating scheduling and meeting planning, as well as managing Cobalt’s deal flow database, reporting activities and other administrative projects.

Jill has more than 20 years of experience in progressive administrative roles in higher education. Prior to joining Cobalt Ventures, she served as the Administrative Officer at Pittsburg State University.

In her free time, Jill enjoys spending time with her family and exploring all Kansas City has to offer.