Lance Fors, Chairman

Lance Fors has been an SV2 partner since 2005.  Lance joined the SV2 Board of Directors in 2005, became Vice Chair in 2006 and Chairman in 2008. Over the years he has also co-chaired the Foster Youth Affinity Group; participated in Education, International and Environment grant rounds; and served as board chair to two grantees (New Teacher Center and Reading Partners), a board member to one grantee (Silicon Valley Children’s Fund), and a liaison to one grantee (Acterra). 

Lance received his BA from UC-Berkeley and his PhD from the California Institute of Technology, both in molecular biology. During his school years he also assembled a large real estate portfolio that he continues to own and manage.   After receiving his PhD, Lance was the founder and CEO of Third Wave Technologies, building it into a leading DNA diagnostics company.  Since selling Third Wave, Lance has focused on venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship.  

In venture philanthropy, Lance focuses on empowering promising social entrepreneurs to become powerful catalysts for change by acting as a sounding board, coach and mentor. He works with a select number of organizations at inflection points in their development on strategy and execution issues, and how to increase their social impact. Lance is currently board chair of SV2, New Teacher Center and Reading Partners; a board member and strategic planning lead for Jumpstart, Social Venture Partners International and the Silicon Valley Children’s Fund; and an advisor to several dozen high-growth organizations.

In social entrepreneurship, Lance is the founder and owner of a provider of housing for individuals with special needs.   He acquires, modifies and then rents out select properties long-term, enabling hundreds of individuals with special physical or mental needs to lead independent lives.  

Lance is also lead director and co-owner of Lance Construction Supplies, an inventor on dozens of patents, an Ernst and Young entrepreneur of the year award recipient, a former CASA (court appointed special advocate) for four foster youth, and an avid tennis player and swimmer.