Barbara Piette

Barbara joined Knightsbridge in August 2006. As an investor for over 20 years and a former partner in two leading venture capital firms, she continues to build Knightsbridge's portfolio of investments in the best early stage venture partnerships. Her association with Knightsbridge dates back to 1988, when as General Partner of Charles River Ventures from 1986 to 1992, Knightsbridge became an LP. At Charles River, she was responsible for a successful portfolio of health care, technology and consumer companies and served on the board of seven companies including Community Health Systems, Abacus Direct and FAO Schwarz. From 1992 to 1999, she invested with a life sciences focus as a Partner of Schroder Ventures, co-founding the SV Life Sciences funds and serving on the boards of eight companies including GelTex Pharmaceuticals, Ameripath and Allos Therapeutics. Since 2000, she was President of Blackwood Capital, investing in and advising private and public company management teams. Barbara's career began as a clinical nurse manager, followed by IT consultant and account management positions with MCI Communications, where she was part of the original team creating the first email system to be offered commercially, and the Yankee Group, where she specialized in email and packet switched networks and was often quoted in industry press. Barbara received an M.B.A. with honors from Harvard Business School and holds a B.S. summa cum laude from Boston College, graduating first in her class. She is a member of the Massachusetts Women's Forum, serves on the board of the Koch Center for Cancer Research at MIT, and is involved with several not-for-profit entities. Barbara's passions include spending time with her two children, education and music. She also enjoys being an active contributor to the venture industry and her community through the HBS Association of Boston, MWA, her local parish and her children's school.