Valenti was the second death of a technology CEO in the San Francisco Bay Area within a 30 day period. The lifeless body of Tushar Arte, 50, the CEO of a web design company called AtreNet, was found dead next to his vehicle hours after being kidnapped from his home.

Coincidence or related?

She was 33 and her death was reported as being related to natural causes following an “acute manic episode.” Her body was found in the back seat of her rental car. There were no signs of physical harm to her body. No drugs in her system were found. No foul play was reported by the police.

She had no diagnosis of a mental-health disorder and was described as being:
- A very successful tech entrepreneur
- Dogged determination
- A relentless business woman
- A force for good

She was the founder and executive director of Tinker Ventures, where she managed a global team of 120 employees. She was the previous director of Product Development at Overstock.com, where she supervised a team of 250 engineers.

Her last trip was to a three-day workshop designed for business leaders. She was exploring new technologies and ideas for entrepreneurship.

She left the workshop and immediately flew to see a friend. She had just left her friend for the airport when she started making strange phone calls. Her last words on the phone to family members seemed frantic and erratic. They took turns talking to her on the phone trying to understand what she was concerned about. Her behavior was reported as being extremely out of character.

One of the last statements she made before her death was, “It’s all a game, it’s a thought experiment, we’re in the Matrix.”

The police investigation into her death was described as a farce by her dad. The police did not submit a missing person report until days after the family reported her disappearance. Even stranger, police described her situation as a “Voluntarily Missing” status. A group of people found her body and only then did the police show up. She was only half a kilometer from her last known location.

I have been hoping that new information would come out but nothing so far. This life is very odd. Do NOT take anything for granted, stay Present. Trust your own inner voice…don’t just keep going when things get strange. STOP and access your path, if nothing else – PAUSE – regroup then decide what you will do. Erin called her parents. She should have checked into a hotel right then and gotten off the road. Ugh!! But that’s how life is:

ERIN VALENTI’S BIOGRAPHY

Erin Valenti had more than 15 years of multifunctional leadership experience developing and investing in innovative tech companies and running Tinker, a full-service product development company.

AS A PERSON

Erin was always energetic and full of crazy ideas. She had a very sharp intellect uncommon among others. She loved climbing rocks and climbing down the canyons.

PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY

Before starting Tinker, Erin tinkered with a lot of ideas. She started working as a venture capital investor and directly led investments in the communication and fintech sectors at Summit Partners, a $20 billion fund. There, she managed a team of associates and assisted with an IPO and two M&A transactions.

After leaving Summit Partners, Erin was ready to start a venture of her own. That’s when she started Skycrane, a Springboard Accelerator portfolio company, and a work-for-hire marketplace. Her freshly gained entrepreneurial experience made her realize the troubles of underdog entrepreneurs and inspired her to create SLC Tech Startups, a professional networking group in Utah where she actively organized events to provide opportunities to learn, create and connect.

After her successful exit from Skycrane, Erin joined Overstock.com as the Head of Product Development and oversaw a team of 250 engineers. She also helped in forming the internal corporate venture capital group of Overstock (now called Medici Ventures) by leading the first five investments in blockchain companies.

Recently, she was also focused on developing training programs for software and product development and launching a web content series on innovation and creativity.

EDUCATION

Erin earned her B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University, summa cum laude, and majored in Finance and International Business.

ROLE AT TINKER

At Tinker, Erin had a global team consisting of 120+ employees across Salt Lake City and in Lahore, Pakistan. Tinker built more than 700 products including mobile apps, SaaS apps, tech-enabled marketplaces, and consumer websites while working for renowned startups and Fortune 500 companies.

ERIN VALENTI LEADER IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED

By Lassonde Staff December 1, 2020

The family of the late Erin Valenti, a standout local entrepreneur, recently partnered with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business to establish the Erin Valenti Leader in Entrepreneurship Endowed Scholarship starting in the 2020-21 academic year.

The scholarship fund was initiated by donations from Valenti’s family, friends and supporters. They gave more than $100,000 to honor her legacy as a tech entrepreneur and advocate. This money and future donations will be held in an endowment to provide annual scholarships to promising entrepreneurs at the University of Utah.

The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and Valenti family invite everyone to join them in supporting aspiring entrepreneurs by donating to the Erin Valenti Leader in Entrepreneurship Endowed Scholarship. Learn more and donate here.

“Erin was an inspiration to many, and we hope this scholarship fund will inspire entrepreneurs like her for many years to come,” said her husband, Harrison Weinstein. “She would have loved to work with these entrepreneurs to develop their ideas and help them find success in business and life. Her spirit will live on through these scholarships.”

Valenti passed away unexpectedly in 2019 at the age of 33 and is missed by many. Her impact was far and wide as she grew companies and fostered a culture of entrepreneurship.

Among her latest accomplishments, Valenti was the founder and CEO of Tinker, a product development agency and venture studio. At Tinker, Valenti had a global team consisting of more than 120 employees across Salt Lake City and in Lahore, Pakistan. Tinker built more than 700 products, including mobile apps, SaaS apps, tech-enabled marketplaces and consumer websites while working for renowned startups and Fortune 500 companies.

Valenti was also actively involved with Utah’s Women Tech Council and founded SLC Tech Startups, a professional networking group in Utah, where she organized events that provided the opportunity to learn, create, and connect.

“Erin was the type of entrepreneur we want all of our students to become,” said Troy D’Ambrosio, executive director of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and an assistant dean at the Eccles School. “She was smart, resourceful, and passionate. We look forward to working with the students who receive this scholarship and seeing them accomplish big things.”

The first of these scholarship recipients received awards for the 2020-21 academic year. The recipients are participating in the Lassonde Founders program, which is designed for active entrepreneurs to live, study, and launch together at Lassonde Studios, a five-story dorm and innovation space managed by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.

Here are the scholarship recipients for 2020-21:

Justine Nguyen (first year, pre-business major) – “While living and learning at Lassonde, I intend to enhance my entrepreneurial skills and learn more about how to begin and grow a company. With these skills, I hope to create a company where streetwear, sustainability, and improving the community around you, all come together.”
Sydney Hewitt (first year, pre-business major) – “I will earn my degree in business administration, and then I will own my own business or become a CEO somewhere.”
Ella Bachorowski (first year, pre-design major) – “I’ve always had an eye for all things beautiful. From architecture to design to fashion, I am captivated by details and simplicity. I hope to discover ways to be able to share my passion with the world through the Lassonde Founders program. Go Utes!”

Learn more about programs for student entrepreneurs at the University of Utah on the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute website here.

About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute

The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus of the Eccles School and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include workshops, networking events, business-plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, graduate seminars, scholarships, community outreach, and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Institute also manages Lassonde Studios, five-story innovation space and housing facility for all students. Learn more at lassonde.utah.edu.

The Tinker leaders that Erin Valenti left behind:

Managing Directors

More about Tinker

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