Jesse Rasch is co-founder and serves as chairman and CEO of Hedgewood. He is the co-founder and former chairman and CEO of WebHosting.com and InQuent Technologies. He was a co-founder of CareGuide. InQuent provides private label hosting solutions to telecommunications clients including Bell Canada, KPN, Telecom New Zealand, PCCW, AT&T, Comcast and Cox Communications. WebHosting.Com was one of the world’s largest business hosting companies. In 2000, Rasch sold InQuent and WebHosting.Com to AT&T. In 2002, Rasch orchestrated the acquisition of InQuent from AT&T by a management team. Rasch successfully sold InQuent again in 2003. InQuent was merged with Network Solutions and is now part of publicly traded web.com. Rasch is credited with creating the white-label segment of the hosting market, which is a significant component of the $95 billion-a-year hosting market. VerticalScope, of which Rasch is a co-founder, develops and acquires online media and communities. VerticalScope’s network of Web sites is visited by more than 85,000,000 people a month. VerticalScope’s automotive publishing division, Modified Automotive Group, was acquired by KKR / Primedia in 2007. In 2015, Torstar acquired a 56% stake in VerticalScope. Rasch is a proponent of venture philanthropy and actively encourages entrepreneurs to participate in strategic philanthropy. In 2000, he founded the Jesse and Julie Rasch Foundation to invest in causes that reflect Rasch’s broad philanthropic interests. In 2001, Rasch was awarded Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He has been featured in Time Magazine, The Globe & Mail, Canadian Business, The National Post, Network World, Macleans, as well as on CBC, CTV, Global, City-TV, BNN and many other print, television and radio media. He was a founding member of the Canadian E-Business Opportunities Roundtable, a joint private and public sector advisory group on e-business in Canada.

JESSE RASCH

Technology Entrepreneur | Investor | Strategic Business Leader

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Hedgewood Managing Director and Co-Founder

• Lead strategic initiatives and provide executive leadership for the organization
• Drive business growth and development strategies
• Leverage extensive entrepreneurial experience to guide company direction

CareGuide Co-Founder

• Established and developed innovative technology platform
• Implemented strategic business model and operational frameworks

WebHosting.com Founder

• Built one of the world’s largest hosting companies
• Successfully scaled the business to significant market prominence
• Orchestrated strategic sale to AT&T

InQuent Technologies Founder

• Developed specialized hosting solutions for telecommunications industry
• Provided hosting services to major telecommunications clients including AT&T, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Bell Canada
• Successfully managed management team acquisition from AT&T
• Executed subsequent strategic sale

VerticalScope Founding Investor

• Supported development of digital commerce and social community platforms
• Contributed to growth of platform attracting over 100 million monthly visitors
• Publicly traded company (TSX:FORA)

Jesse Rasch Investment Portfolio

• Oisin Biotechnologies

• Deal Date: 28-Jun-2024
• Deal Type: Later Stage VC
• Industry: Biotechnology
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• Daily Harvest

• Deal Date: 15-Nov-2021
• Industry: Restaurants, Hotels and Leisure
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Deal Size: Not Specified
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• Angiex

• Deal Date: 30-Aug-2021
• Industry: Drug Discovery
• Company Stage: Pre-Clinical Trials
• Deal Size: Not Specified
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• Cinchy

• Deal Date: 26-May-2020
• Industry: Business/Productivity Software
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Deal Size: Not Specified
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• SteadyMD

• Deal Date: 02-Apr-2020
• Industry: Clinics/Outpatient Services
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Deal Size: Not Specified
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• PetPlate

• Deal Date: 29-Jan-2020
• Industry: Consumer Non-Durables
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Deal Size: Not Specified
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• Kettle & Fire

• Deal Date: 10-May-2019
• Industry: Food Products
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Deal Size: Not Specified
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• Clearco

• Deal Date: 18-Dec-2018
• Industry: Specialized Finance
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Deal Size: Not Specified
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• Super.com

• Deal Date: 04-Dec-2018
• Deal Type: Early Stage VC
• Industry: Financial Software
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

• Zoocasa

• Deal Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Deal Type: Later Stage VC
• Industry: Real Estate Services (B2C)
• Company Stage: Generating Revenue
• Lead Partner: Not Specified

PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES

Family Foundation

• Established org
• Created leading non-profit healthcare resource focused on plant-based nutrition education
• Developed platform serving consumers and medical professionals

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Technology Entrepreneurship
• Strategic Business Development
• Technology Infrastructure
• Telecommunications Solutions
• Venture Investment
• Non-Profit Leadership

CONTACT INFORMATION

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada