Tom Patterson

Entrepreneur

I want to work with the best people on the planet to build something worthwhile and develop more internal wisdom about life through these experiences

kixeye, simplivity

Frustration is the time between having an inspiring and motivating vision or idea and your ability to articulate it clearly and with conviction to compel those that matter. The most rewarding part of entrepreneur-ism is when you see an employee take flight and grow right before your very eyes.

The number one mistake entrepreneurs make is to rely on of the opinion of people to guide their sense of self worth. Once an entrepreneur accepts himself for what he/she is good and bad, the real magic happens.. Once the inside has integrity, the entrepreneur will have rich and rewarding long term "life" success and sustainability.

1.) Partner or Team Selection is everything.
2.) Be transparent to yourself, your board, your employees and your customers
3.) Treat others with love and patience even if they don't deserve it. Good things will return to you.

Tom Patterson is an experienced CEO, investor and advisor. He is the founder of Wize.com and is currently founder of Heighten, an exciting startup in the enterprise mobile space.  Tom has also held a number of executive leadership positions in both startups and established companies.
In 2007, Tom founded Wize.com, an innovative product research service. Wize was acquired by Nextag (now Wize Commerce) in 2010.  After the acquisition, Tom was appointed to the position of President where he managed a successful integration of the team, technology, and revenue engines. 
In 2006, Tom was an EIR with the Mayfield Fund and helped the firm with deal sourcing and screening.
Previously, Tom was the Senior Vice President of Markettools (acquired by SurveyMonkey).  Tom led product, technology, and services and was responsible for strategy and execution for all consumer and enterprise solutions.  His organization of 250+ personnel delivered the capabilities that fueled the company’s rapid growth from 0 to 50 million in revenue in 4 years. 
Tom has also held executive positions at PeopleSoft, where he was the Director of Product Marketing of the Finance applications. In addition, he was a Product Development Manager at Procter & Gamble, working on both Pantene and Old Spice brands.
Tom actively advises a number of high-growth companies helping them with both product market strategies and leadership development.  Advisory boards include Kixeye, IDG Ventures and others.  He’s also a CEO coach and works with a number of high-profile executives in Silicon Valley. He is on the board of Dale Carnegie.  
Tom was an Eastman Kodak Scholar at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, graduating with a BS in Chemical Engineering and played Varsity Football. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Tom holds a 3rd Degree Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do and loves surfing.