The Breakfast Club of New Hampshire

Request for Mort Stories and Mort Comments from Mort's Family

2008-02-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

We are also trying to collect as many Mort Stories and Mort Comments (the more outrageous the better- my personal favorite is "Abraham Lincoln, the greatest mass murderer this country has ever known") as we can, and request that they be sent to this email by anyone willing to repeat them.

thank you so much,
Jane Wood ( Morton Goulder's daughter)

Send the stories here: megoulder@suscom-maine.net

Home Health & Hospice pays tribute to Goulder

2008-02-11T13:51:00.001-08:00

New Hampshire lost a one-of-a-kind original last week with the death of Mort Goulder. He was a man of indomitable energy and curiosity who was versed on innumerable topics.

Mort was not a man of subtlety, nor in my experience did he waste time on nuance. He was direct in his communication and could be relied upon to share an outspoken opinion based upon his perception of the issue.

In the late 1990s, Mort was an important supporter of the capital campaign that built the Community Hospice House. He took this position because he believed in the mission of the organization to provide care to individuals at the end of life regardless of their ability to pay.

While he supported the mission, however, he expected the Hospice House to generate sufficient income to deliver extraordinary value to the community without bankrupting its parent organization, Home Health & Hospice Care.

Mort served two terms as a trustee of the Community Hospice House Foundation, using his considerable influence to chart the future direction of the House.

Mort was extremely generous to organizations whose missions resonated with his personal value system. He believed that all organizations should be well-managed and dedicated to the elimination of any waste that might hinder the delivery of services in a safe and timely fashion.

In health care, that philosophy translated to advocating for quality care in the home and Hospice House. He remained "on message" during his final hospital stay, challenging staff while planning the next stage of his own recovery.

During one visit to his bedside, he informed me that he had experienced substantial physical setbacks and longed to return home. I told him that the minute he left the hospital, Home Health & Hospice would be there to assist him with his recovery. He beamed, winked at me, and said that he expected nothing less!

Home Health & Hospice Care and the Greater Nashua community is a better place for having known Mort Goulder, and his boundless enthusiasm for life will be missed.

Dr. Karen Baranowski
President/CEO
Home Health & Hospice Care

Contributions in Mort's Memory...

2008-01-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

The Nashua Telegraph obit mentioned that contributions in Mort's memory could be made to two local charities. Their addresses are:

Home Health & Hospice Care
22 Prospect Street
Nashua, NH 03060

Harbor Homes
45 High Street
Nashua, NH 03060

I know Mort was active in both.

George Schwenk

Mort Never Gave Up On Us...

2008-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am writing on behalf of all of us working in a small company now located in Utah. This company is called Process Packaging & Control. It is one of the companies Mort was intimately involved with during the late 1990’s. Mort was a huge help as a friend, adviser, investor, and mentor. We still are alive and ticking and broke the million dollar in revenue mark this year despite some tough sledding over the years. Mort never gave up on us and we won’t keep trying for him. I thank you all for sharing your stories and appreciate the anecdotal information you shared.

RIP – Mort!

Thank you.

Tim Petracca
President and CEO
PPC, Inc.

Mort was a Role Model for Me as the Classic Entrepreneur...

2008-01-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

I did not know Mort well but he was a role model for me as the classic entrepreneur who, rather than start a company, wants to start them all. Gene put together this little icon and I was wondering if we (or perhaps one of you) could post to this as part of a tribute to Mort?

Jim Daniell
CEO - EdNets

Mort will live on as a Touchstone for Entrepreneurship...

2008-01-29T05:52:00.000-08:00

Mort’s influence has been with me my entire 25 years of being an entrepreneur. True story. When I was 25 I married another 25 year old engineer (Larry Genovesi) and we went off to Martha’s Vineyard for our honeymoon. During the early part of the sojourn, my brand new husband broke this news to me “Honey I have been meeting with a friend Jim Kendall and we are going to start a new computer company as soon as we return to Boston”. I got a fast induction into the land of starting and building companies. The company Larry and Jim actually sketched out never got off the ground and a few years later together Larry and I started what became Network Engines.

We met George Schwenk very early on in the development of Network Engines, it was so early that the company was called PowerStation Technologies. George provided some help with our “shoe box” accounting and “young” financial projections and peppered us with the hope of someday meeting Mort.

For 20 years I heard about Mort Goulder and his friends known as the Breakfast Club. In 2005 I had the opportunity to meet him in person on but two separate occasions. He was so the words that people like Frank and George used to describe him. There was an “alive” quality about him and you felt it the moment you were in his sphere. Few people have that “twinkle” as many of the fellow bloggers have mentioned. Even though he never invested in any of my companies to date, I still felt the support to stay on the entrepreneurial path because knowing that there were people like Mort gave me the assurance that this was a good road to be on.

Mort was and will live on as a touchstone for anyone who adventures into the land of entrepreneurship. I am grateful for having been connected.

Cheryl Smith
Heritage Network
Bringing Museums Alive!

Mort Truly Fought the Good Fight...

2008-01-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

Mort was an early investor in Bitstream, where I served as Secretary and General Counsel for the 1993-1996 period. Mort held observation rights and, as such, served as the original model to me for Board Observer.

He attended every quarterly meeting and, on a small board fraught with intense personalities, made his genial, unassuming presence felt more at the subconscious level than otherwise.

With Mort at our side, Bitstream went from period a big losses to IPO. Mort truly "fought the good fight."

William F. Swiggart
Swiggart & Agin, LLC

What a Great Human Being...

2008-01-28T08:35:00.001-08:00

I met Mort back in the 70s when I became involved with a company he invested in. The CEO was his roommate at MIT. We ended up selling the company generating a handsome return for Mort and others. I maintained communication with him, intermittently, over the years and will miss his wit and wisdom.

What a great human being!

Ron Kaplan

Mort was an Entrepreneurial Father Figure...

2008-01-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

It was a great sadness and sorrow that engulfed me when I opened my e-mail today from George.

The last two days is one of the saddest days for all of us.

Even though I knew Mort from early 2002, in those six years he became a warm and valued advisor, a technical and business advisor where we bounced off ideas and stories, and he was a father figure on top of that.

I have been very fortunate and it was a priviledge to have known Mort during these past 6 years, as a co-investor and director in two-start ups with Mort.

He was an inspiration to all of us who knew him. He will be missed by us all.

ARM Azad

We Have Lost an Inspirational Thought Leader...

2008-01-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

Mort inspired us along with countless children of RoboTech Center with his entrepreneurial outlook, inspirational messages and challenges to the youth.

We will miss him.

Naveena Swamy
President, Founder
GameBrix.com

The World is a Better Place Because He Was There...

2008-01-28T06:29:00.001-08:00

Mort was one of those individuals for which we can say "the world is a better place because he was there". His wit, intelligence, grace and twinkle made him a thoroughly delightful person to work with. I had the honor of knowing Mort over the last two years as we discussed in his investment in NetClarity and other ventures.

Mort was one of those rare men of action who looked you in the eye, told you what he was going to do and did what he said he was going to do.

I will miss him.

Gil Roeder,
Chairman (Emeritus)
NetClarity

It is hard to find anybody like Mort...

2008-01-28T06:28:00.001-08:00

What a sad, sad day. As I sit here and think about of all the people out there who have influenced my life, it is hard to find anybody like Mort. A friend, a mentor and a really good person. He has bettered so many entrepreneurs, so many lives, so many families. NH entrepreneurs have lost their finest

In deep sorrow

Alex Bakman

A Warm and Valued Friend...

2008-01-27T07:35:00.001-08:00

I knew Mort for but a few of his last years and he became a warm and valued friend in those few years.

An inspiration to me and to all who were fortunate to know him.

He will be missed.

Frank Ferguson
President
Curriculum Associates, Inc.

Mort's Dream Will Live On...

2008-01-27T07:11:00.001-08:00

My company has been blessed to have Mort as key angel investor and for me as a mentor over the past few years. I sincerely wish we had more time together - he was unbelievable - an amazing person.

We met regularly for breakfast at Denny's. He had a subtle passion and fire in his eyes. Everyone recognized it as his 'sparkle.' He was always a great listener and communicator. Many times, a man of few, but guiding words. I never left a breakfast without a pearl or gem from Mort - some words of wisdom to help steer me and our mutual investment towards success.

Recently, I was pitching our company and we had twelve minutes to present. Each entrepreneur would get up in front of a large audience of angels and a few VCs with their key angel sponsor. The angel sponsor was to say an opening - a few words but they seemed to eat about 3 to 5 minutes of the entrepreneurs pitch time.

When it was our turn, Mort got up, said "I'm an angel in the breakfast club - we invested in Gary - I like him, his company and his technology - it's a smart investment" - that was it! He had a full room of applause. He gave me so much. In that event, he gave me 11 minutes and 30 seconds of our 12 minutes to pitch.

That was Mort as his best.

To Mort, this I promise, the Breakfast Club will live on and you will never be forgotten!

Sincerely,
Gary S. Miliefsky
Founder & CTO, NetClarity, Inc.

I can't believe he's gone...

2008-01-27T07:08:00.002-08:00

He was truly unique ------ a one of a kind. Unforgettable

I will always remember the twinkle in those bright blue eyes. It telegraphed his love for the adventure of life He fully engaged in it, even at an age when most men retire and slow down.

His enthusiasm was contagious. Mort loved technology, entrepreneurs and their start-up companies. To invest in start-ups at his age was the greatest affirmation of the triumph of confidence and hope over pessimism and despair.

It was a high privilege to be his friend, Breakfast Club colleague, and co-investor in many ventures.

I will sorely miss him.

Arthur Fox

A lesson on how to age...

2008-01-27T07:08:00.001-08:00

For those of us who are not yet Mort's age, he was a great role model or how to age without getting old.

David Friend, Chairman & CEO
Carbonite, Inc.

Mort Goulder ’42...

2008-01-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

There’s a twinkle in his eye as Mort Goulder talks about his years at MIT and subsequent career. "I started out as a Course XV business major. That lasted a year and I switched to EE. By the end of my second year I had had my fill of transmission lines. I decided to take the classes I liked and found exciting. Physics offered the interest and flexibility I needed…as for getting a job afterwards, I figured I would take my chances."Mort has never regretted his physics training which he calls "magnificent." In fact, Mort will tell you that he has never learned anything that wasn’t useful.

Mort is now President of M. E. Goulder Enterprises, a consulting firm specializing in high technology and investment management. Prior to that he co-founded Sanders Associates, where he served as director and vice-president for 22 years. He initiated and managed two of Sanders’ largest divisions: special programs (consisting of reconnaissance and intelligence systems) and electronic design—covering product design for the entire corporation.

While at Sanders, Mort also ran all of their philanthropic activities. It was there that he became interested in leveraging charitable funds to "really accomplish some good." Since then, Mort has devoted his energy to community and educational affairs. From involvement in the city governance of Nashua, New Hampshire, to serving on MIT’s Corporation Development Committee, Mort has sought to provide innovative solutions and high tech expertise to address the problems faced by non-profit organizations.

When the Physics Department asked Mort to join the Patrons of Physics Fellows, Mort responded enthusiastically with a one-year expendable fellowship. Mort’s gift will make it possible for a first-year graduate student to explore his or her dreams—to really take the time to determine the right area of specialization, to find a mentor, and to have the freedom to develop new insights and ideas—without having to worry where the money will come from. And, because another generous donor has offered to matc h all new gifts dedicated to graduate support, Mort’s contribution will have double the impact!

"MIT is a much better place today," explains Mort. "Today’s students have mentors. They live on campus.

They have UROPs."Mort likes the changes he sees and rarely misses an opportunity to return to campus and learn something new. He still works full time at the things he enjoys—venture capital, investment management, and board work as well as charitable support. "There are always too many things to do," he sighs.

In addition to his gift of fellowship support, Mort has also established the Morton and Claire Goulder and Family Professorship in Environmental Systems, currently held by Director of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, Prof. David Marks.

Mort is very pleased to support the Physics Department and looks forward to meeting the first Morton E. Goulder Fellow.

Some things will never be the same...

2008-01-27T07:04:00.001-08:00

Breakfast at Nashua Country Club or Denny's will never be the same. His hand in making start-up technologies into thriving businesses will be sorely missed. It was a true priviledge to have known him.

Peter Antoinette

A great influence on me over the last 20 years...

2008-01-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last two hours reflecting on what a great influence Mort has had on me over the last 20 years, since he and I separately invested in Innovative Telecom at the behest of another beloved departed Brantz Mayor. I had a lock on ITC"s equity to avoid cram downs by virtue of a loan that I made during a critical time. It was holding up subsequent financing. Mort and I met for the first time then, and he convinced me that my lock was not the way venture capital was done. By the strength of his caring to explain it to me, I gave up the lock and subsequent financing through Frank Alex, then at Zero Stage was put in place.

That was the start of innumerable breakfasts invitations and investments. Arthur Fox's words in memory are truly heart felt, insightful, and inspirational.

Taylor Soper

Mort was an inspiration to all of us....

2008-01-27T06:59:00.000-08:00

His joy while talking to an entrepreneur was visible and if the entrepreneurs could display intelligence and innovation those of us around the table could see the ideas bounce back and forth. Sometimes sparks would fly. It was extremely exciting.

When I meet him I knew -- this is who I want to emulate.

His advice to these folks as they faced the ups and downs of growing a business was practical, encouraging and down to earth. I think of him as helping the team uncover the truths for that specific set of problem. He was a natural truth seeker.

He was an intellectual adventurer and a torch bearer for all of us the believe entrepreneurship will unleash new approaches – driving commerce, providing jobs and solving one-by-one problems facing human kind. The fearlessness of his style of early stage investing was inspiring. I believe that he was the Johnny Appleseed of enterpernership in New England putting out seeds that created and inspired all parts of the ecosystem - innovators and investors. The fruits will show up for decades.
He was generous in all senses of the word.

I was privileged to know him and be his friend.

Jean Hammond