News & Events

John Sider Named as Director of Second Stage Capital for Ben Franklin/CNP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:      November 12, 2014

For further information:

Liz Wilson, Director of Marketing

Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP

814-898-6541 / lizwilson@psu.edu

John Sider Named as Director of Second Stage Capital for Ben Franklin/CNP

HARRISBURG, PA. Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania www.cnp.benfranklin.org has announced the appointment of John Sider as its Director of Second Stage Capital. Sider will be responsible for assisting the program’s portfolio companies attract additional investment capital from sources such as angel investors, institutional venture capital, and banks. In addition, he will be responsible for identifying and obtaining additional funding resources to support the mission of the Center.

Sider was most recently a Senior Policy Advisor to Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes where he did fiscal analysis for the Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee and managed economic development projects in the Senator’s district. Previously, he was Managing Director of Statewide Initiatives for Pennsylvania’s four Ben Franklin Centers. In this capacity, he played a central role in the conception, development, and passage of Pennsylvania’s 2013 “Innovate in PA” legislation which will provide $100 million in tax credits to fund a continuum of capital formation activities in the state.

From 2005-2010 Sider worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development where he managed all venture capital and angel investor initiatives and was ultimately appointed Deputy Secretary for Technology Investment by Governor Rendell in 2009.

John Sider is a graduate of Wheaton College and earned his MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University.

Stephen Brawley, Ben Franklin’s President and CEO, commented, “We are fortunate to have someone with John’s background and skill set on our team. His knowledge of how to access follow-on funding opportunities whether from Angel Networks or VC Groups, along with his experience working for the Commonwealth, makes him a valuable asset not only to our portfolio clients but to the Ben Franklin program as well.”

About Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Ben Franklin Technology Partners CNP, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, provides investment capital and business support services to emerging tech-based companies and small, existing manufacturers for the purpose of creating and retaining jobs in Pennsylvania.  Contact the central office of Ben Franklin in University Park at (814) 863-4559 or see our website at www.cnp.benfranklin.org