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Hi, my name is Steve VonDeak. I’m a founder, mentor, husband, dad, and below average golfer. I’ve spent the last 15 years exploring the tech universe. It’s been an unpredictable, humbling, rewarding journey. Here’s my story…
2007 I was a rising 3L at Syracuse Law. My plan was to practice real estate law and ultimately get into the land development business. That year I got an iPhone, Apple launched the app store, and I experienced over-the-air downloads for the first time. It blew my mind. Growing up, buying software was an all day activity: driving to the mall, getting a box off the shelf, then going home to load up a disk. The app store’s ability to instantly distribute software was a game changer. So I changed my plans.
2008. I cofounded and launched my first product idea. A hyper-local wayfinding app, helping visitors navigate the SOHO neighborhood of NYC. It didn’t achieve the commercial success I hoped, but I did earn an invaluable education in the emerging business of the app store. We also had the good fortune of catching Apple’s attention and got featured on the app store. With the recognition, the phone started ringing. People were looking to launch apps but didn’t know where to start. So I leveraged my experience and consulting became my next chapter.
2009-2016. I cofounded and help grow Rounded, a software consultancy specializing in design & development of web and mobile applications. We worked with startups, enterprises, non profits, and everything in between. We reimagined legacy library systems to better manage patrons and collections. We modernized hunting & fishing apps for outdoor enthusiasts to be more productive. We worked on a personalized preference engine for wine consumers to discover and enjoy new wines. We also tinkered with our own ideas, discovering Density along the way.
2016-present. I cofounded and help grow Density, a venture-backed proptech company. Density was originally conceived to know busyness at our local coffee shop before walking there (waiting in a line is no fun). Today it’s a platform for F1000s to save costs with better performing workplaces. Density’s ultimate mission is to improve humanity’s footprint on the world. Over 7 years we’ve seen and done a lot: raised $200m+ in venture capital, brought enterprise-grade hardware and software to market, grown the team to 200 amazing people, and successfully sold into the largest companies in the world.
Present-future. I will forever explore the tech world. I hope to one day add real estate developer to my resume. My wife and 3 daughters will continue to be my greatest source of inspiration and joy. I will spend more time working with early stage and first time entrepreneurs. I love their energy and helping them navigate varied topics: fundraising, product, go to market, team, operations, and more. I’ll continue to play bad golf.
