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Kelly Ford Buckley

General Partner, COO

ABOUT KELLY 

Kelly leads firm operations, including investment development, value creation, portfolio management, finance and marketing. She also manages investments in enterprise SaaS and fintech, serves on Edison’s investment committee, and is the pioneer of our Edison Edge value creation platform. Over the last nine years with the firm, Kelly has worked with more than 55 portfolio companies, been involved in 15 financings and has served as director of 12 companies. 

Prior to joining Edison in 2014, Kelly spent 20 years operating in high growth emerging and established B2B and B2B2C companies. A technology optimist who has built her career on a passion for breaking new ground, Kelly has never held a role that someone held before her. She has successful track record creating new categories and accelerating and scaling growth for disruptive SaaS companies such as Sundaysky, Operative (Edison company sold to SintecMedia for $200M), LivePerson (LPSN), and Groove Networks (acquired by Microsoft). 

Active with her alma mater, Michigan State, she serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence for Broad’s Burgess Institute and on the advisory board for the university's Center for Venture Capital, Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Finance. She is regularly featured in business, investor and technology media, and is an in-demand speaker at local and national events. 

NOTABLE EXITS 

Bento for Business, Billtrust, Blue Medora (now observIQ), Emplify (now 15Five), ExecVision (now Mediafly), ItemMaster, Salsa Labs 

INVESTMENT EXPERIENCE 

Axial, Bento for Business, Billtrust, Blue Medora (now observIQ), Emplify (now 15Five), ExecVision (now Mediafly), GAN Integrity, ItemMaster, Kinetiq, Lawnstarter, Northpass, Salsa Labs, Suuchi, Terminus, Solutions by Text 

EDUCATION 

BA, Michigan State University 

Recent Articles from Kelly Ford Buckley

Why Reputational Capital Matters and How to Build It

Why Reputational Capital Matters and How to Build It

We recently re-released our Exit Readiness...

The Role of the Board in the Exit Process

The Role of the Board in the Exit Process

If you’re familiar with Edison Partners, then you...

Strategically Addressing Special Board Situations

Strategically Addressing Special Board Situations

I recently published a blog about the power of ...

Leveraging Committees to Optimize Your Board

Leveraging Committees to Optimize Your Board

In recognition of his board’s unique skills and...

ABOUT KELLY 

Kelly leads firm operations, including investment development, value creation, portfolio management, finance and marketing. She also manages investments in enterprise SaaS and fintech, serves on Edison’s investment committee, and is the pioneer of our Edison Edge value creation platform. Over the last nine years with the firm, Kelly has worked with more than 55 portfolio companies, been involved in 15 financings and has served as director of 12 companies. 

Prior to joining Edison in 2014, Kelly spent 20 years operating in high growth emerging and established B2B and B2B2C companies. A technology optimist who has built her career on a passion for breaking new ground, Kelly has never held a role that someone held before her. She has successful track record creating new categories and accelerating and scaling growth for disruptive SaaS companies such as Sundaysky, Operative (Edison company sold to SintecMedia for $200M), LivePerson (LPSN), and Groove Networks (acquired by Microsoft). 

Active with her alma mater, Michigan State, she serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence for Broad’s Burgess Institute and on the advisory board for the university's Center for Venture Capital, Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Finance. She is regularly featured in business, investor and technology media, and is an in-demand speaker at local and national events. 

NOTABLE EXITS 

Bento for Business, Billtrust, Blue Medora (now observIQ), Emplify (now 15Five), ExecVision (now Mediafly), ItemMaster, Salsa Labs 

INVESTMENT EXPERIENCE 

Axial, Bento for Business, Billtrust, Blue Medora (now observIQ), Emplify (now 15Five), ExecVision (now Mediafly), GAN Integrity, ItemMaster, Kinetiq, Lawnstarter, Northpass, Salsa Labs, Suuchi, Terminus, Solutions by Text 

EDUCATION 

BA, Michigan State University 

Recent Articles from Kelly Ford Buckley

Why Reputational Capital Matters and How to Build It

Why Reputational Capital Matters and How to Build It

We recently re-released our Exit Readiness...

The Role of the Board in the Exit Process

The Role of the Board in the Exit Process

If you’re familiar with Edison Partners, then you...

Strategically Addressing Special Board Situations

Strategically Addressing Special Board Situations

I recently published a blog about the power of ...

Leveraging Committees to Optimize Your Board

Leveraging Committees to Optimize Your Board

In recognition of his board’s unique skills and...