Kip Allen Frey
Encyclopedia
Kip Allen Frey is a venture capitalist and an adjunct professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy
of Duke University
. He served as President and CEO of several companies and has presided over company transactions that produced more than $1 billion of value for investors.
degree from the University of Southern California
in 1981 and a Juris Doctor
degree from Duke University in 1985. After receiving his degree, Frey worked as a lawyer in the area of intellectual property law for several years. He then took a position with Turner Broadcasting System
in 1990. During his time with the company, he participated in the purchase of Castle Rock Entertainment
, the creation of the Cartoon Network
, and the building of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas
, Nevada
.
(WCW) for a brief period of time in 1992. His significant contribution to the company was the institution of workrate bonuses to whichever wrestler he thought had gone above and beyond the call of duty in the past week instead of simply "phoning in" his performance in the ring. This was in sharp contrast to the more frugal approach of his successor, Bill Watts
, who sought to cut back WCW's expenses during his year with the company. Frey was announced as Executive Vice President during the promotion's Clash of the Champions XVIII event. Immediately after being introduced, he made the announcement that Jesse Ventura
had joined the company as a commentator
.
).
In 2001, Frey joined Intersouth Partners, one of the largest and most successful venture capital firms in the Southeast.
Frey has been a professor at Duke since 1996. He teaches courses on intellectual property policy at the university's Sanford School of Public Policy. He serves on several boards at the university as well as multiple non-profit and charitable boards.
Sanford School of Public Policy
The Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University is named after former Duke president and Governor of North Carolina Terry Sanford, who established the university's Institute for Policy Sciences and Public Affairs in 1971 as an interdisciplinary program geared toward training future leaders...
of Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. He served as President and CEO of several companies and has presided over company transactions that produced more than $1 billion of value for investors.
Early life and career
He received a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1981 and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Duke University in 1985. After receiving his degree, Frey worked as a lawyer in the area of intellectual property law for several years. He then took a position with Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
in 1990. During his time with the company, he participated in the purchase of Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a subsidiary of Warner Bros...
, the creation of the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, and the building of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
World Championship Wrestling
He served as Executive Vice President of World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) for a brief period of time in 1992. His significant contribution to the company was the institution of workrate bonuses to whichever wrestler he thought had gone above and beyond the call of duty in the past week instead of simply "phoning in" his performance in the ring. This was in sharp contrast to the more frugal approach of his successor, Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
, who sought to cut back WCW's expenses during his year with the company. Frey was announced as Executive Vice President during the promotion's Clash of the Champions XVIII event. Immediately after being introduced, he made the announcement that Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
had joined the company as a commentator
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
.
Post-WCW life
Since his departure from the Turner organization, he has won a number of entrepreneurial awards for his business efforts. During the 1990s, Frey ran three start-up companies: Ventana Communications Group, Accipiter, and OpenSite Communications. Each was acquired at large multiples of the capital invested in them. One of his most notable success stories as a venture capitalist was helping to secure $24 million for OpenSite Technologies, a provider of online auction software (this is not to be confused with internet encyclopedia Open SiteOpen Site
Open-Site, the Open Encyclopedia Project, is a free internet encyclopedia founded in 2002 by Michael J. Flickinger in an effort to build a free categorized community-built encyclopedia, inspired by the Open Directory Project...
).
In 2001, Frey joined Intersouth Partners, one of the largest and most successful venture capital firms in the Southeast.
Frey has been a professor at Duke since 1996. He teaches courses on intellectual property policy at the university's Sanford School of Public Policy. He serves on several boards at the university as well as multiple non-profit and charitable boards.