Rob Delman ’98
Rob is an active angel investor and a Managing Director of Golden Seeds, an angel investor organization targeting high growth women-led ventures. Rob is a Limited Partner in various Golden Seeds funds, ARC Angel Fund, BluePrint Health and Las Olas Ventures, all of which invest in seed and early-stage companies with high growth potential. Rob is a frequent lecturer and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia University where he also co-taught the MBA-level class “Introduction to Venturing”, was an executive mentor in “Launching New Ventures” and “The Greenhouse Program” and has been honored with the #ColumbiaCoaching Award at the StartupColumbia Entrepreneurship Festival. Rob is the Lead Instructor for the Golden Seeds Knowledge Institute. Rob is also a mentor with SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer and expert business mentors.
Rob was previously Vice President, NY for Astia, an organization that supports female entrepreneurs and currently serves on their Global Advisory Board. Rob is a mentor for The Founder Institute, the world’s premier startup launch program for entrepreneurs and has been a mentor for a multitude of incubators and accelerators.
From 1985-2000 Rob was a principal and President of Delco International Ltd., a successful manufacturing and distribution company of tableware products for the food service and transportation industries. During Rob’s tenure, sales increased from $34m to $76m. Delco was often a recipient of both the Long Island Top 50 Private Companies and 25 Fastest Growing Private Companies award sponsored by KPMG Peat Marwick and Hofstra University School of Business. In 2000, Rob orchestrated the successful sale of the company to Oneida Ltd, the world’s largest tableware manufacturer and stayed on as President of the Delco foodservice division through 2003.
Rob holds a BS in Marketing from Syracuse University and an MBA from Columbia University. He serves on the Board of Directors of Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel; is a member of the World President’s Organization and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society; was awarded the Human Relations Award by the American Jewish Committee; is an Outward Bound graduate; is a USPTA certified Tennis and Pickleball instructor; a multi-Bronze Medal winner in tennis for the USA Maccabi Team; and is a multi-category winner in tennis at the West Side Tennis Club (home of the US Open until 1978.)