BALA CYNWYD, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Osage Venture Partners (OVP), a leading venture capital firm investing in the next generation of early stage, post-revenue business-to-business software companies, with a focus on the future of work and future of education, is pleased to announce that Sean Dowling was promoted to Managing Partner from Partner and Emily Foote was promoted to Partner from Principal. Both promotions were effective January 1, 2023.
“I am excited to announce the promotions of Sean to Managing Partner and Emily to Partner at Osage Venture Partners,” said Nate Lentz, Managing Partner. “Sean has been a valued member of our team for years, consistently demonstrating his ability to drive results and build strong relationships with our portfolio companies. Emily has also been a key contributor, bringing a wealth of operating experience and strategic thinking to the table. Together, Sean and Emily have done a remarkable job building our franchise, distinguishing OVP’s investment value-add, and expanding our network. We are confident that both Sean and Emily will excel in their new roles, drive OVP’s success, and serve as the foundation for the next generation of our firm’s leadership.”
Sean joined OVP in 2011, and since that time has played a leading or supporting role in nearly all of the fund’s investments. Sean serves as a board member of BoodleAI, BookKeeping Express, Brazen, Dina, Connectbase, ExecOnline, MarginEdge, Ostendio, and Returnalyze. He was a board member of TimelinePI through the company’s acquisition by ABBYY Software, served as board observer for GoCanvas until its growth investment from K1 Investment Management, Phone2Action until its growth investment from Frontier Capital, and Sidecar until its merger with Quartile. Sean holds several leadership positions in and has been a speaker for organizations supporting the venture ecosystem, including the Philadelphia Alliance of Capital and Technology (PACT), Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, and the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA).
Before business school, Sean worked as a strategy consultant at the Monitor Group in London and Boston. Sean received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Economics.
Emily joined OVP in March 2020 and has successfully brought to bear her future of education and future of work expertise over the past three years. She currently serves as a board member of TeachFX and Transeo, and is a board observer at DeepHow, DrayNow, Fount, Hued, Malbek, Ostendio, SoWork, and Trinsic. As a former founder with a successful exit, Emily brings valuable operational experience to OVP’s portfolio companies in addition to a deep network that bolsters OVP deal flow and portfolio support. Prior to OVP, Emily served as VP of Corporate Strategy and Customer Success at Instructure, a leading global education technology company, which Emily joined in 2017 after the acquisition of Practice. Emily co-founded Practice in 2011 and guided the company from a video platform in the education market to a corporate learning solution, managing growth across offices in Philadelphia and San Francisco. Preceding her role as a founder, Emily practiced education law and was a Teach For America corps member and KIPP teacher.
Emily also plays an active role in Philadelphia’s startup community, most recently serving on the Steering Committee for PACT’s Capital Conference and on the board of Philly Startup Leaders. She is a frequent industry speaker, including appearances at Chief Learning Officer Exchange, ASU GSV Summit, Future Workplace Summit, and CLO Symposium. Emily completed her JD at Drexel University Kline School of Law, her Master of Education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in History.
About Osage Venture Partners
Osage Venture Partners (OVP) is a leading venture capital firm located just outside Philadelphia, PA. For nearly two decades, OVP has partnered with exceptional entrepreneurs building the next generation of leading early stage, B2B software companies. OVP applies a deep understanding of how to drive success in B2B software with a focus on companies innovating in the Future of Work the Future of Education. For more information, visit osageventurepartners.com.
