About

An alumnus of the University of Virginia (UVA), David C. Burke earned a bachelor's degree in finance, a master's degree in international relations, and a juris doctor from the institution. While attending college, he was a full-time midshipman in the US Navy. Upon completing all three degrees, David C. Burke began working as an associate at Bingham McCutchen LLP and soon after served as an international capital markets lawyer at Linklaters.

In the early 2000s, David C. Burke transitioned to the venture capital and private equity space. He served as the managing director at The Investment Fund for Foundations from 2001 to 2004 and subsequently spent two years in a similar capacity with the Stanford Management Company. In 2005, he founded Makena Capital Management, LLC, and led the investment management firm to accrue $20 billion in assets under management over the course of a 15-year period. He served as the company’s CEO from 2013 to 2019 and as a member of its Management and Investment Committees.

At present, David C. Burke is the chairman and chief executive officer of Selby Lane LLC. In this capacity, he provides capital and expertise to investment and asset management firms to execute strategic growth initiatives, expedite ownership and management transitions, and offer pathways to liquidity for outside investors. Mr. Burke has also held corporate or advisory board positions with more than two dozen venture capital, private equity, and direct investments worldwide.

David C. Burke maintains affiliation with UVA as a member of the board of the Miller Center and as the vice-chair of the UVA Honor the Future Capital Campaign. Previously, he served on the board of the UVA Investment Management Company. Currently, he lectures at the UVA School of Law and at the UVA McIntire School of Commerce. Moreover, he teaches the World of Investing and International Relations course at the latter institution.

Check out A Conversation on the State of Venture and Private Equity Fund Investing