Michael W. Blackburn

Managing Partner

Mike is a founding partner of Petra Capital Partners. Prior to founding Petra, he was a venture partner with Richland Ventures, a Nashville-based venture capital firm focusing on healthcare, telecommunications, media, and entertainment. Mike joined Richland at its inception in March 1996 and contributed to its development into one of the largest venture capital firms in the Southeast. Prior to that, Mike was an associate with Lawrence, Tyrrell, Ortale & Smith (LTOS), a venture capital firm focused on healthcare services and information technology. Prior to joining LTOS, Mike worked for six years as a commercial lending officer. He has served as a director for numerous private companies, including STI Knowledge, Navigator, CapRock, United Asset Coverage, American Hometown Publishing and Insource Contract Services. He currently is serving on the board of Yorktel, Superior Global, Santé Pediatric Services, and AirServ.

Mike has been involved in 64 private company investments across seven different funds and serves on the executive committee of the Small Business Investor Alliance, formerly known as the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies (NASBIC). Mike earned his BA & MBA from Vanderbilt University. He also is a member of YPO.

TEAM

Michael W. Blackburn