Marc J. Bensadoun, co-chair, Ph.D. ’91 Physics

Marc Bensadoun graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Physics in ‘83 and from UC Berkeley with a Ph.D. in Physics in 1991. A physicist by training, Marc Bensadoun splits his time between seed-stage investing with his wife Cristina Hawes-Bensadoun, board and advisory roles, and developing technology ideas. During his PhD and post-doctoral study at Berkeley he worked in experimental astrophysics for eight years at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with Nobel Laureate George Smoot. Mr. Bensadoun then founded Newfield Wireless, initially to help mobile network operators model, plan, and optimize their radio networks. He later developed an enterprise big data platform to provide mobile network operators with geoanalytics and radio access network insights. During this decade-long product development phase, he grew Newfield by 40 percent per year with no outside capital. He sold Newfield in 2013. The Bensadouns homeschooled their daughter through middle school, and Mr. Bensadoun concentrated on teaching her math and science. He continues to be interested in science, education, and the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Bay Area, and he holds advisory roles at the UC Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator and the Lawrence Hall of Science. Mr. Bensadoun and Ms. Hawes-Bensadoun are Builders of Berkeley.