David York

His thirty plus years of industry knowledge and networks uniquely equip him to be a liaison and international ambassador not only for Top Tier’s brand, but also the broader venture community. In 2000, David joined Phil Paul to lead the fund of funds team at Paul Capital, which spun out in 2011 to form Top Tier.   David has been active in the global venture capital community since the early 1990s. As a founder of Top Tier, he has led the development of the Firm for over twenty years and has been involved in every aspect of it. His involvement in the industry has led him to participate in numerous industry events and conferences, and also the NVCA, where he is an active board member.   David led the fund of funds business at Paul Capital Partners, before spinning it out and founding Top Tier. Prior to Paul Capital, David spent seventeen years on Wall Street running various trading desks. In 1999, he was Managing Director at Chase H&Q, where he ran Equity Capital Markets liquidity, and from 1994 to 1999 he ran Venture Services for Hambrecht & Quist, a San Francisco-based, technology-focused investment bank acquired by Chase Bank. Early in his career, David spent time at Drexel Burnham and Paine Webber as well as a period working for his family's business, Ewing Irrigation Products.   David is married to his college sweetheart, Julia, an author and lawyer, and has two sons. David’s elder son is married and is an active entrepreneur. His younger son is an active autistic adult and board member of the Golden Gate Regional center. David is very fond of yellow Labrador retrievers.   David is an active runner, biker and hiker who also enjoys photography, skiing, and fly fishing. He is currently learning to golf and is an active cook, wine collector, and orchid grower. He can find his way around an art gallery and a haberdasher's closet. His favorite foods are white truffles and Wagyu beef.   David is a member of the Executive Leadership Committee of Parents Helping Parents, a Santa Clara county community-based non-profit developed to help families caring for children with special needs. David is also a member of the Board of Directors of NESsT, a 23-year-old Social Development Enterprise and Impact Investing non-profit investment firm focused on the development of social entrepreneurs in Central European and Latin American countries.