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Angel Investor and Penn alumnus


“Sales skills trump everything, because any time you do anything in life you are selling. You are selling yourself, you’re selling your idea, you’re selling your product, you’re selling whatever.”

From Bell Labs to Microsoft, from start-ups to angel investing, Ken Glass’s (M&T 1982) journey has taken him across the spectrum of careers at the intersection of business and technology. A key to his success has been his marketing and sales skills. Ironically, he never took a single marketing class while at Penn; his sales skills were honed through real world experience.

After graduation Ken accepted a job at Bell Labs, which offered to for his graduate education. He completed his Master’s Degree in Engineering-Economic Systems at Stanford University and in 1982 began work at Bell Labs as a programmer. Subsequently he found an attractive opportunity working in an entrepreneurial venture within Bell Labs, where he sold sell computer graphics add-on box for Sun workstations. This first foray into the realm of sales taught him the value of marketing skills. “Sales skills trump everything because any time you do anything in life you are selling. You are selling yourself, you’re selling your idea, you’re selling your product, you’re selling whatever,” said Ken. After working at the venture for a few years, Ken left Bell Labs in 1988. Through his Bell Lab connections he learned of a software start-up, Brightwork, that sold add-ons and utilities for Novell’s local area network software, then the market leader. Novell’s product had grown so quickly that the company left many features out, and companies like Brightwork filled in the gaps. Ken eventually became the Vice President of marketing and business development at Brightwork, and to help sell himself into the company he agreed to work for one-sixth of his Bell Labs salary for the first year in a junior position. Ken was confident he would succeed at his job, and the company would want to keep him and raise his salary. His prediction came true, as he performed so well that the owner not only gave him a raise but also a stake in the company. After one of the firm’s co-founders left the firm, he followed suit shortly afterward despite not having another job lined up. “I became pretty good at quitting without having the next step figured out,” laughed Ken.

Following Brightwork Ken did some consulting projects, including one for Microsoft that led to his joining the firm’s marketing division full-time in 1991. As Marketing Manager for OEM Marketing, Ken emphasized customer satisfaction and constantly monitored and engaged customers. For Ken the customers were PC manufacturers, such as Dell, that used the Windows operating system. His efforts and successes did not go unnoticed, as he became the first person in Microsoft history to win Marketing Manager of the Year twice (1995 and 1998). Ken attributes the honor to his overall approach of customer focus, thinking outside the box, and coming up with win-win combinations for both Microsoft and its partners. At Microsoft, Ken also created a new effort that coordinated public relations for Microsoft and its key partners like Dell, as well as Tech·Ed, the world’s leading technology education conferences. Highlights of his time at Microsoft include his “fascinating” one-on-one meetings with Bill Gates and Michael Dell, who personally demonstrated one of Dell’s latest PCs. In 2000, at the height of the Internet boom, Ken left Microsoft to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams.

Instead of becoming an entrepreneur himself, Ken decided to fund and help other entrepreneurs, and he became an angel investor. (Angel investors typically invest in early-stage companies and help prepare them to seek venture capital). The ability to be his own boss was also attractive to Ken. Because of his background in software and technology, he only invests in companies in those areas. Sticking to his area of expertise has paid off, as one of the four original companies he funded in 2000 went public in 2004. Outside of angel investing, Ken also became actively involved in his community, such as serving on the strategic planning committee of his local school board.

Time: 6:30PM for Dinner, 7PM for the Presentation
Location: Levine Lobby for Dinner, Wu and Chen Auditorium for the Presentation