World-Renowned Angel Investor Dave Berkus to Headline HFTP’s Executive Vendor Summit
World-Renowned Angel Investor Dave Berkus to Headline HFTP’s Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) and Hospitality Upgrade are excited to announce that Dave Berkus, one of the most influential figures in angel investing and venture capital, will be a featured speaker at the upcoming Executive Vendor Summit (EVS).
The event, scheduled for March 25–27, 2026, at the Hilton Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas, brings together senior technology executives from across the hospitality industry for three days of thought leadership, education, and networking.
Berkus will join Prakash Shukla, managing partner at Wayfare Ventures LLC, and Derick Schaudies, managing director at TI Partners, for a fireside chat moderated by David Chestler, president of ProVision Partners. The session will explore how top investors evaluate opportunities, the factors shaping today’s investment strategies, and the innovations driving change across technology sectors.
Berkus is a name that resonates across the worlds of entrepreneurship and venture capital. Often referred to as a “super angel,” Berkus has spent decades helping startups launch, scale and thrive. He has invested in dozens of early-stage companies and is widely recognized for developing the Berkus Method, a valuation framework that has become a go-to tool for assessing startup potential.
Berkus’s career is a testament to innovation and leadership. Born in Pasadena, Calif., he founded his first company at just 15 years old. While earning his business degree from Occidental College, he was already building businesses and serving in the United States Naval Reserve.
Over the years, Berkus has founded, operated, and grown companies across industries including hospitality, entertainment and enterprise software. His contributions to the hospitality industry, particularly through software innovations that modernized operations, earned him a place in HFTP’s International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame in 1998.
Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Berkus has served as CEO, chairman or lead director for numerous organizations and has been a board member for more than 40 companies. His leadership has been recognized with the prestigious title of “Director of the Year” for his contributions to corporate governance including Forbes Magazine.
In addition to his work as an investor and entrepreneur, Berkus is a prolific author and speaker. His latest book, The Leader’s Toolkit: A New Collection of Tools, Strategies, and Tactics They Never Teach in Business School, offers practical advice for founders and executives navigating today’s complex business landscape.
“Dave Berkus has been a driving force in angel investing and startup mentorship for decades,” said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe. “He was the pioneer for the hospitality industry and his DNA is in many of today’s hospitality technology as well as many other industries.”
HFTP has just a few slots left for this incredible event. To submit your interest to attend, visit the event site for details.
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