Marc Kramer: Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems that Span Continents

From launching the world’s first organized angel investor network to pioneering cyber insurance for small businesses, Marc Kramer has spent his career solving real problems that others overlooked. With ventures across sectors, continents, and decades, his impact spans far beyond the boundaries of a single business card.

Born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and educated in journalism and management, Marc has worn many hats, sportswriter, tax administrator, consultant, venture builder, and educator. But through every reinvention, one theme has remained constant: empowering others to build, lead, and thrive.

A Lifelong Builder with a Global Lens

Marc’s journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t conventional. Starting as a local newspaper sportswriter, he transitioned into tax administration, then launched a marketing consultancy and managed community ventures like the Downingtown Antique Hub. But the turning point came in 1987 when he began leading the Penn State Technology Development Center.

From there, his influence grew rapidly. In the 1990s, Marc founded the Eastern Technology Council and Pennsylvania Private Investors Group (now the Private Investors Forum), two powerful institutions that connected early-stage companies with angel capital at a time when such networks were rare.

He also founded Technology Times, a national publication spotlighting tech innovation before it was fashionable.

Ventures That Solve Big Problems

Marc has always looked for the blind spots in systems, and built solutions for them.

• Prompt Payment tackled late B2B invoice settlements.
• Commercial Deposit Insurance (2012) addressed the rising threat of cyber theft for small business bank accounts.
• His latest initiative? A global hackathon to explore how AI can create, not destroy, jobs in the future economy.

Marc’s leadership shines not only through what he builds, but through the people he builds it for. As Executive Director of the Private Investors Forum and producer of the Angel Venture Fair, he continues to create bridges between startups and investors across the globe, including Asia’s fast-growing markets.

Teaching, Talking, and Turning Ideas into Impact

A firm believer in the power of education, Marc co-founded the first MBA program focused on AI for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, and teaches entrepreneurship at VinUniversity in Hanoi, among others. He also offers free online courses to high school students and launched the first high school entrepreneurship competition in Asia.

Marc’s podcasts, The Best Business Minds and Asian Founders and Funders, have reached listeners in over 78 countries, helping elevate voices often overlooked in the global startup narrative.

Overcoming Setbacks, Building Credibility

Marc’s early challenges weren’t trivial. He struggled academically, scoring just 725 out of 1600 on college boards, and was accepted into only one university. “I’m a proud Mountaineer,” he says of his alma mater, West Virginia University, where he earned his B.S. in Broadcast Journalism.

But with resilience and drive, Marc navigated one pivot after another, from print journalism to venture capital, each time starting from scratch, building trust, teams, and traction.

Recognized. Respected. Relentless.

His accolades speak volumes:

• Entrepreneur of the Year (1991)
• Top 40 Under 40 in Philadelphia (1991)
• Author of “Small Business Turnaround,” named one of the World’s 30 Best Business Books by Executive Book Summaries
• Podcasts with global reach
• Creator of the first cyber bank insurance product for SMBs

And yet, Marc’s most defining quality remains his servant leadership.
“I empower people to take risks. As long as no one dies, failure isn’t a big deal.”

A Finger on the Pulse of Global Entrepreneurship

Marc sees opportunity in Asia’s fast-moving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through his work at VinUniversity and with the Angel Venture Fair, he’s tracking trends in cross-border angel investing, SME cybersecurity, and AI-driven entrepreneurship.

“I’m helping governments and ecosystems grow, not just companies,” he says.

That includes answering invitations from countries looking to build their own innovation infrastructure, a testament to his global reach and deep credibility.