Dave Chalk (entrepreneur)

For other uses, see Dave Chalk.

David Chalk
Born	David Ian Chalk (1958-09-09) September 9, 1958 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Nationality	Canadian
Education	University Fraser Valley Doctorate in Technology, 2006 (most recent)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, Business Broker, Technology Futurist, Educator, Media Personality, Keynote Speaker, Venture Capitalist, CEO of Decision-Zone Inc.
Notable work	Founder, Chalk Media (Sold to RIM), 1997–2007 Founder, Doppler Computer Superstores, 1985–1997
Spouse	Keely Chalk
Children	2
Website	www.davidchalkinc.com www.decision-zone.com

""David Ian "Dave" Chalk"" (born September 9, 1958) is a Canadian technology entrepreneur and media personality best known as the host of the syndicated Dave Chalk's Computer Show . He first entered the technology business by launching his own computer store, Doppler Computer Superstores. He subsequently launched a technology consulting firm, Chalk Media, and launched ChalkTV in 1995 , one of the first television programs to be streamed on the Internet. Chalk subsequently hosted programming on computers and technology for radio, television and in-flight broadcasting systems on Air Canada[9], as well as writing for The Globe and Mail[10]

Early life

David Chalk was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Chalk has said that it was very difficult to grow up in South Burnaby, B.C. in the 1960s and recalls that having severe dyslexia and other afflictions he acquired from brain damage at birth meant being dealt with like a pariah.

"I was treated harshly in class. I was the kid who was considered dumb, couldn't spell, couldn't write, and couldn't read. My name was always up on the board as the worst speller and the worst reader. I was put in the corner, not for acting up but for not doing what I was supposed to do."

Chalk credits his mother saying, "When I couldn't read or write and do the homework, my mom would sit down and help me through it. She always said that it wasn't my time, and I would someday find something that is right for me. She told me not to fight it, but to be positive and believe you can do anything you want to do when you find what you are passionate about."

Education

Chalk never finished his university degree and barely graduated from high school. Not because he wasn’t bright, but because an undiagnosed learning disability -- a severe form of dyslexia -- made it difficult to learn in the traditional academic setting. Chalk thinks in pictures rather than words, and reading and remembering are major challenges for him.

"I barely made it through school and then I did go to university. That's when things changed. In the key classes, the ones I wanted that is, I got 98% because I could learn the way I wanted. I was in control of learning versus the elementary and secondary ways of learning and their strict curriculum. I couldn't handle university English, because no matter how I learned it I flunked it, along with anything that required reading writing and spelling. The math and sciences and such I excelled at."

Despite a challenging childhood and adolescence with the public school system, Chalk was rewarded many years later with an Honorary Doctorate of Technology for his years of accomplishments in the tech field. In an interview with the University of Fraser Valley upon accepting his degree, Chalk espoused the following: 



“My education was the toughest ordeal I’ve been through in my life. It almost broke me as a child, taking someone who was interested in the world and pushing me down and making me feel so bad because I couldn’t learn the way I was supposed to. Things were a little better when I got to university at UBC because I could choose my courses and had more control over how I learned material, but I still never graduated because I couldn’t do all the reading and writing that was required. Later on, it was extremely validating to have an academic institution acknowledge that I have achieved something significant and have done something good by teaching others. I was told not to expect much out of life, so it’s a real sense of completion now that I’m being recognized for my work. I am honoured beyond comprehension that UCFV is acknowledging that minds can do amazing things even if they don’t follow a conventional system. It’s my hope that the world can truly start to enjoy and free all those beautiful minds out there.”

The University of Fraser Valley’s Alumni Association board nominated Chalk for the honorary doctorate and noted in its nomination document that, “David’s perseverance and determination to excel and achieve success, regardless of adversity, is an inspiration and motivation to all students,” adding that Chalk is an inspiration to business students for his entrepreneurial savvy, to computing students for his gift for sharing technology, to media students for his success as a TV personality, and to students with disabilities as an example of what’s possible.

Career

Starting early in 1981, Chalk saw computers as the future and has made it his lifelong goal to stay on the bleeding edge, making technology the catalyst for his success. He has a well versed and implicit understanding in areas including software development, e-commerce, social media, Intellectual Property, information security, web development, mobile applications, cloud computing, eLearning and distance education, and more.

Chalk has a rich and deep history in the tech industry. He started video streaming on the Internet 20 years ago and developed the first video engine for Yahoo! in 1999, raising $60 million in capital. He developed one of the first point of sale (POS) system for retail stores across Canada and successfully turned around a $150 million US Retailer from Chapter 11. Chalk has appeared on speaking tours for Microsoft on behalf of Bill Gates and has a reputation for predicting the future of technology.

Other notable accomplishments for Chalk include creating the first Canadian Technology Magazine in 1986, establishing the longest-running technology show in Canada], creating the first open-line national radio show for computer education, founding two technology companies in excess of $100 Million, and creating and selling an award-winning mobile training software company to RIM.

Consultant

David has been asked on many occasions to consult with industry leaders such as Bill Gates on retail store design for Microsoft, Martha Stewart: on technology implementation for Omnimedia, Charlie Lippincott (franchiser of Star Wars & Industrial Light & Magic), and Charles Wang on retail product positioning for Computer Associates.

Keynote Speaking

David has also spent 20 years educating and sharing his lessons through keynote speaking engagements and has given in excess of 300 talks over the years including Stanford Aerospace, MIT on Corporate Culture, the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta, Educational Computing Network of Ontario, the Saskatchewan Institute of Technology and Applied Science, and countless others. Chalk has also spoken to numerous Fortune 1000 companies and Government organizations including 3M, Best Buy, Bekins Transport, Canada Post, China Government Department of Planning, J.D. Edwards, Ford, Princess Cruises, RBC Financial Group, Sunlife and Xerox.

Awards

Having been awarded the Top Marketer in Canada, David has created many award winning marketing campaigns including: Verizon USA, Royal Bank, Sony, Samsung, HSBC Bank, RIM - BlackBerry, FutureShop, SaskTel, Microsoft, TELUS, UnderArmour, Business Objects, and Air Canada. While David does none of his work to impress others his integrity has led him to be consistently recognized by his peers including the Retail Council of Canada: Most Outstanding Marketer; Finalist for the Governor General Award of Canada; YEO: Entrepreneur of the Year; American Marketing Award for Web Design; 3 Telly awards for TV programming; and a Freddie Award for Best International Educational Documentary: “An insight into life with Dyslexia & learning disabilities.”

In addition, David’s media production company that produced his technology show, Connected Life, won numerous awards over a 12 year period and aired in 9 countries. In Canada, the show was rated by TV Guide as one of the top 35 in the country.

Venture Capitalist

Chalk has spent much time on both sides of the venture capital fence: in venture capital and angel markets raising in excess of $90 million in investment funds and assisting entrepreneurs with start-up capital. Chalk’s most significant fundraising success came during the dot-com era in 1999 when he negotiated with Silicon Valley’s Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital who also funded start-up capital for the likes of PayPal, Yahoo!, Excite, Apple, Google, YouTube and many others. Known as the most successful venture capitalist in the world, Moritz green-lighted Chalk’s web company to raise $480 million for online video content pre-YouTube. Prior to this undertaking, however, the dot-com bubble burst, leaving Chalk with one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face: Failure. But it is through these and many other lessons that have lent to Chalk’s depth and understanding for true success.

Commercial Pilot

Chalk is a licensed commercial airline pilot and is part owner of Sky Helicopters, a helicopter courier and commuter company in Vancouver, BC.

Homes

Chalk has lived in Mount Lehman, British Columbia for over 14 years that has a functioning country barn with horses, chickens and other animals.5 Chalk was previously the owner of a 9.9 million dollar, 47,000 sq ft mansion, which is considered to be one of the largest houses in Canada. The lead singer of the now famous Canadian band, Nickelback, now occupies the home.6

Before moving to Mount Lehman, Chalk lived in the exclusive West Vancouver area for several years. It was his childhood dream to purchase a multi-million dollar mansion in this area, which he did at the age of 32.

Definition of Success

Having lost and made millions during his career, Chalk has a deep definition of success that includes family and committing to supporting others, especially those less fortunate, in achieving their goals. His work extends to mentoring youth in schools across Canada to have them believe in themselves. He coaches students on why bullying is a weakness of the aggressor, and that no matter what one’s background or family condition, we all have the ability to be all that we can be when we believe in ourselves. Chalk is a strong, articulate leader and mentor of employees, demanding excellence but never more than he would expect from himself. He is self-taught in all that he does and is committed to never stop learning - he is a true believer that Change Is Power.

Social Media Contact Info

Chalk’s Twitter handle is @askdavidchalk or you can connect via Facebook on the DavidChalkInc fan page[11].