Niel Ransom
Niel Ransom founded Ransomshire Associates, Inc., an advisory firm focused on enabling early-stage companies to achieve business growth and successful exits. Prior to Ransomshire, Niel served as the chief technology officer of Alcatel where he directed a staff of 1200 scientists and engineers comprising Alcatel’s research, corporate strategy, intellectual property, and R&D investment organizations. Before joining Alcatel, he directed the Advanced Technology Systems Center at BellSouth. He started his career at Bell Laboratories where he headed various development and applied research organizations.
Focus Areas
Boards
First, founders must have a clear vision of what they want to achieve with their company, a vision for which they are passionate.
Q&A
Is there an accomplishment you are most proud of in your career?
I am most proud of my work on broadband access. In the early days of dial-up Internet, there was no viable consumer broadband service. I helped lead the effort to create a “buying club” that brought together four of the largest regional Bell operating companies around a common set of DSL technical specifications. This allowed us to negotiate lower prices for equipment thereby making broadband Internet access finally affordable for consumers.
What does your role as an Advisor with Celesta look like?
My role at Celesta is multi-faceted, but our number one goal as a team is to help the companies in our portfolio succeed. We do this by providing them with many tools – particularly capital, advice, and industry connections.
As an advisor, I also help evaluate new investment opportunities, meeting with startups to assess their potential. Once we’ve invested, I work with the companies to help them with their strategy, operations, and fundraising. I also help them build strong teams and develop a clear vision for the future.
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