Robert J. Adams Jr. is an investor, author, and consultant who serves on the staff of the Department of Management at the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business. He teaches in the school's MBA program and is director of the Moot Corp program. An angel investor and board member for several start-up companies, Rob is affiliated with numerous venture funds, including several that he started. Throughout his career he has been a founder, founding investor, or involved participant with the merger or acquisition of more than 40 companies representing over $1 billion in capital. He also has been involved with the launch of more than 100 products. Prior to entering the venture business, he was a technology executive for nearly two decades. Rob is a nationally recognized expert and speaker on entrepreneurship, company and product strategy, marketing, and technology issues. He recently keynoted the Inc. 500 business conference and consults for numerous Fortune 500 technology companies. He also provides expert testimony on technology-related business issues and has consulted on economic development and early-stage company development for the governments of countries including Chile, India, and New Zealand. He has received coverage in national media such as BusinessWeek, The New York Times, and American Public Media's radio program Marketplace. Rob is the author of A Good Hard Kick in the Ass: Basic Training for Entrepreneurs and he is working on his next book, If You Build It Will They Come? Three Steps to Test and Validate Any Market Opportunity, due out in March 2010. He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Purdue, a Master of Business Administration from Babson College's Olin School of Management, and a PhD in management from Capella University.