Today I remember the life and contributions of one of our founding board members, Dave Barger Jr. A close mentor and friend to all of us at Start Co., Dave was instrumental in getting our organization off the ground in 2008, and his contributions to the technology community will always be remembered.
Dave did so much to heighten Memphis’ innovation community, acting as our personal mentor for building new programs. A true digital guru, he will be remembered as our technological champion. He was always bringing in best practices and the latest social media technology to Memphis. He was even an early adopter of Twitter and had a zealous following.
He was keen on making sure Memphis was on the map. After giving a presentation at SXSW in 2012, Dave was featured in 2012 in the Commercial Appeal, saying: “For 20 years I’ve been hearing that Memphis is behind other cities in regard to technology issues, and I’m tired of it. Now is the time to make a change.”
This is truly representative of what I knew to be Dave’s life mission: raising the “tech tide” in Memphis. He was constantly willing to partner on new programs and bring them to the Memphis tech scene, which sometimes just meant rolling up his sleeves and getting the job done. Dave was never one to shy away from real work and I will never forget his true entrepreneurial spirit.
Dave’s impact on our innovation ecosystem is immeasurable. He was keen on relentlessly advancing our community and did so by generously donating his time, energy and resources. I will always remember his heartwarming smile, kindred spirit and amenability toward advancing Memphis into the emerging digital economy. I’m confident that his spirit will live on in our work.
To read more about Dave’s legacy in the Commercial Appeal, please click here.