For Connor, technology is synonymous with progress. From consumer products to backend logistics, he sees tech as a vital tool for pushing society in new directions. “It’s a vehicle for solving big, complex problems,” he says.

Connor grew up in San Diego and studied economics at the University of California, Berkeley. After college he started his career at Morgan Stanley, where he guided companies like HP, ZoomInfo, Cloudera, and Zuora through transformational moments including mergers and IPOs. Later as an investor at Silver Lake, he partnered with market leaders like Splunk, SoFi, and Iterable to help them continue to scale.

Connor’s experience working with teams at a variety of inflection points has shaped his “liberal arts” approach to investing, in which he’s able to think both strategically and holistically about a company’s needs. “Data is always part of the story, but it’s important to take a fundamental view of where a company fits into the world and how it provides a valuable service,” he says. At Spark, Connor is looking to establish enduring partnerships with founders and companies tackling knotty problems across fintech, foodtech, and other cutting-edge sectors. “There are always going to be roadbumps when you’re solving ambitious problems,” he says. “But I believe it’s about taking a long term view.”