.png)
Dan Henderson
30-year veteran of high-growth software and technology companies.
​
Founder, executive, investor, ICF-credentialed coach.
Phone:
(703) 665-9337
Email:
About Me
I spent nearly three decades building (and successfully exiting) high-growth businesses as both a founder, venture investor, and corporate development executive in charge of buying companies and creating strategic partnerships.
Among other ventures, I've served as a founding executive of FastSoft, a venture-backed company that was acquired by Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM), and of BeClose, which was incubated at Alarm.com (NASDAQ: ALRM) prior to it going public. Most recently, I ran global M&A (mergers & acquisitions) for 3Pillar Global until it was acquired by H.I.G. Capital, the largest middle-market private-equity fund in the world. I also spent half a dozen years as an early-stage venture capital investor at Virginia Venture Partners where I invested in startups that went on to achieve valuations in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
​
Today my passion is nurturing the growth of other business leaders with the compassion and understanding that comes from having walked in their shoes. I have lived - and overcome - these pain points:
​
-
Wanting to get promoted but being unaware of my blindspots
-
Wanting to prioritize better and to stop procrastinating
-
Wanting to be more present with family and stop feeling so frenetic at work
My practice combines my deep business experience with an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accreditation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), as well as an Executive Masters Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University, widely regarded as the premiere program of its kind worldwide. As a coach, I help my clients maximize their personal and professional potential, and as a consultant I provide guidance on navigating critical business transactions and associated challenges.​
​
Outside of work, I volunteer as a business advisor through Compass Pro Bono and as an auxiliary officer at VFW Post 9274. I play fiddle and sing in an award-winning bluegrass band, Pictrola, which performs regularly at music festivals, concert venues, and performing arts centers. I hold an executive certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown, an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and a B.A. from Oberlin College. I live in Falls Church, VA with my wife, two daughters, two dogs, and a menagerie of other pets.
In May 2022 I was interviewed by the CEO of 3Pillar Global to talk about growing the company via acquisition, which was my job at the time.
Watch this episode to hear why:
​
-
You should never fall in love with the deal when looking at acquisition targets
​
-
One criterion when considering acquisition targets should be the strength of the culture the leaders have created
​
-
It has never been more true or applicable that the world is flat
​
-
Leaders should look for complementary cultures that can mesh well with their company’s existing culture
Work Experience
1990s - 2003
2003 - 2013
2013 - 2019
2019 - 2022
2022 - 2023
2024 - present
I founded my first company in 2000 after several years as an IT consultant at companies including Deloitte. I raised seed money from angel investors and set up HQ in Cambridge, MA and back office in Hyderabad, India. In 2003, having successfully served several Fortune 500 clients, I sold my stake to a group of private investors.
I served as a founding executive of FastSoft, where I orchestrated a $5M+ venture capital financing. The company was later acquired by Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM). I also served as a founding executive of Beclose, a wireless technology startup incubated by Alarm.com (NASDAQ: ALRM) prior to it going public.
As an institutional venture investor at one of the most active seed- and early-stage VCs in the country, I invested in exactly the types of high-growth companies I had worked on and worked in.
I served as a corporate development executive, first developing strategic partnership channels at Series A-funded MarginEdge, and then running global M&A at software development consultancy 3Pillar Global, until its acquisition by the global private-equity fund H.I.G. capital.
I founded Gravity Insights in order to pursue my passion - helping business leaders navigate the complexity of their roles and lives to thrive. I completed an executive certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University's Institute for Transformational Leadership, the premier program of its kind in the world.
I received the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential from the International Coaching Federation, the leading global coaching organization known for its high standards and independent certifications.