Bob Higgins

Bob is a co-founder of Highland Capital Partners and is involved in many activities related to venture capital, healthcare and social enterprise. He has been a faculty member at the Harvard Business School since 2001 where he teaches a second year course called Entrepreneurship in Healthcare IT and Services. He also teaches a course at the Kennedy School of Government called Entrepreneurship in the Private and Social Sectors.

With more than thirty years of experience in venture capital, Bob has served as a director of many public and private companies. He is a former director of the National Venture Capital Association and President of the New England Venture Capital Association. He has been recognized by the prestigious Forbes Midas List and AlwaysOn Venture Capital 100 as one of the top venture capitalists in the industry. Bob is a recipient of the HBS Healthcare Alumni Achievement Award. He is also a Member of the Harvard Medical School Health Care Policy Advisory Council, a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the Massachusetts General Hospital Research Advisory Council. In 2012, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Bob has been an investor in many successful healthcare and information technology companies. Some of the successful companies he has backed are AVEO Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AVEO), Community Health Systems (NYSE:CYH), Conor Medsystems (IPO/acquired), Flextronics (NASDAQ:FLEX), Generation Health (acquired), Mariner Health Group (IPO/acquired), Mitotix (Neuer Market: GPC Biotech AG), New England Critical Care (IPO/acquired), Origin Medsystems (acquired), PerSeptive Biosystems (IPO/acquired), PRAECIS PHARMACEUTICALS (NASDAQ: PRCS), Renal Treatment Centers (IPO/acquired), Staples.com (acquired) and U.S. Labs (acquired). He currently serves on the boards of APS, Generation Health, iPierian, Kyruus, Predilytics and RedBrick Health. Immediately prior to entering venture capital, he spent four years as the Executive Director of the John A. Hartford Foundation. He also was the Chief Executive of the Clark Foundation and the Burden Foundation. Bob is a former Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and an Assistant to the head of the international division of the U.S. Treasury.

Bob earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and an A.B., History from Harvard College.

Smartest business advice ever received?
“If your instinct tells you something and others around you disagree, be careful about changing your mind. You are probably right. Trust your instincts.”

Toughest business lesson learned over the years?
“Everything takes longer than you think and costs more, which means you need to take planning very seriously and leave the rose colored glasses at home.”