Former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty Joins Andreessen Horowitz as Special Advisor

Margit Wennmachers and Ben Horowitz Posted September 26, 2012

This is a guest post by Margit Wennmachers, partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

Today we broaden our firm’s expertise with the appointment of our second special advisor, Adrian Fenty. Adrian is best known as the iconic former mayor of Washington, D.C., who threw out entrenched rulebooks to reform the public school system with unheard-of success.

Adrian joins renowned economist Larry Summers in his advisory role at the firm.

What does Adrian bring to the table?

To answer this question, it’s helpful to understand more about his tenure as mayor in D.C. On his very first day in office, at a time when D.C. test scores and graduation rates were among the lowest in the country, he introduced legislation to vest mayoral control of public schools. Through efficiencies and a spotlight on accountability, student achievement rose 14 points in reading and 17 points in math since 2007, unprecedented gains in D.C. history and unparalleled nationwide. Not to mention that SAT scores rose 27 points, graduation rates rose each year, and 72 percent of District students took the PSAT. Measurable results in record time.

Adrian did all this in the face of tough opposition from about every corner in the system. He also did it at a great cost; he was voted out of office in the following election. Long-term gains that necessitate tough decisions are often obscured by unpopular short-term pain. In the fullness of time, Adrian will be on the right side of the issue; the results are evident. We admire someone with the courage and the stomach to take on the status quo, in particular on a topic as fundamental as the education system in this country.

His education chops are only a small part of what Adrian brings to the firm.  He will advise us and our entrepreneurs about the ins-and-outs of navigating state, local and federal government. He’s uniquely qualified to help companies understand everything from striking effective city partnerships to navigating regulatory issues. With more technology companies disrupting traditional businesses, they will benefit from leaning on someone who’s well-versed in how local governments operate.

Adrian’s bold, he’s progressive, he’s tech savvy, and he’s a disruptor with a track record to prove it. He’s already hit the ground running with our CEOs. We’re excited to see the kind of impact this reformer will have on our portfolio.

Recommended For You
General

The Lighthouse Playbook

David Booth
General

The Case for Scaling Venture

Erik Torenberg
General

Death of Software. Nah.

Steven Sinofsky

Expert News by a16z

We have built a network of experts who are deeply rooted in technology and how it’s shaping our future. Subscribe to our newsletters to receive their perspectives.

Views expressed in “posts” (including podcasts, videos, and social media) are those of the individual a16z personnel quoted therein and are not the views of a16z Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) or its respective affiliates. a16z Capital Management is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply any special skill or training. The posts are not directed to any investors or potential investors, and do not constitute an offer to sell — or a solicitation of an offer to buy — any securities, and may not be used or relied upon in evaluating the merits of any investment.

The contents in here — and available on any associated distribution platforms and any public a16z online social media accounts, platforms, and sites (collectively, “content distribution outlets”) — should not be construed as or relied upon in any manner as investment, legal, tax, or other advice. You should consult your own advisers as to legal, business, tax, and other related matters concerning any investment. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Any charts provided here or on a16z content distribution outlets are for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. In addition, posts may include third-party advertisements; a16z has not reviewed such advertisements and does not endorse any advertising content contained therein. All content speaks only as of the date indicated.

Under no circumstances should any posts or other information provided on this website — or on associated content distribution outlets — be construed as an offer soliciting the purchase or sale of any security or interest in any pooled investment vehicle sponsored, discussed, or mentioned by a16z personnel. Nor should it be construed as an offer to provide investment advisory services; an offer to invest in an a16z-managed pooled investment vehicle will be made separately and only by means of the confidential offering documents of the specific pooled investment vehicles — which should be read in their entirety, and only to those who, among other requirements, meet certain qualifications under federal securities laws. Such investors, defined as accredited investors and qualified purchasers, are generally deemed capable of evaluating the merits and risks of prospective investments and financial matters.

There can be no assurances that a16z’s investment objectives will be achieved or investment strategies will be successful. Any investment in a vehicle managed by a16z involves a high degree of risk including the risk that the entire amount invested is lost. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by a16z is available here: https://a16z.com/investments/. Past results of a16z’s investments, pooled investment vehicles, or investment strategies are not necessarily indicative of future results. Excluded from this list are investments (and certain publicly traded cryptocurrencies/ digital assets) for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly. As for its investments in any cryptocurrency or token project, a16z is acting in its own financial interest, not necessarily in the interests of other token holders. a16z has no special role in any of these projects or power over their management. a16z does not undertake to continue to have any involvement in these projects other than as an investor and token holder, and other token holders should not expect that it will or rely on it to have any particular involvement.

With respect to funds managed by a16z that are registered in Japan, a16z will provide to any member of the Japanese public a copy of such documents as are required to be made publicly available pursuant to Article 63 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan. Please contact compliance@a16z.com to request such documents.

For other site terms of use, please go here. Additional important information about a16z, including our Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, is available at the SEC’s website: http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.