Draft:Hank Vigil

Henry "Hank" Vigil (born September 1, 1958) is an American business executive and investor known for his significant contributions during his tenure at Microsoft Corporation and his subsequent career in angel investing. He is also recognized as the founder of Acequia Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund that has successfully deployed capital into 350+ technology companies in sectors ranging from silicon and biology to knowledge worker tooling and new infrastructure.

Early Life and Education
Henry Vigil was born on September 1, 1958, in New Mexico, USA. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Stanford University in 1982 and later pursued an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School in 1987.

Career
Vigil's career at Microsoft spanned over two decades, during which he held various key positions and played a crucial role in the company's strategic partnerships and acquisitions. Notably, he worked closely with Microsoft's senior leadership team, including Steve Ballmer, in developing and managing acquisitions, investments, and strategic relationships.

One of Vigil's significant accomplishments was his leadership in negotiating partnerships with tech giants such as Facebook and Nokia. He also played a pivotal role in rebuilding and restructuring relations with companies like Sun Microsystems, Novell, and Real Networks. Notably, Microsoft's partnership with Sun Microsystems resulted in a 10-year technology cooperation deal and interoperability agreement, with Microsoft agreeing to pay Sun $1.95 billion.

In addition to his contributions to Microsoft's corporate strategy, Vigil was instrumental in the company's TV strategy, negotiating alliances with major cable and content providers such as Comcast and Warner Cable.

After leaving Microsoft, Vigil transitioned into angel investing. He founded Acequia Capital, an early stage venture capital firm, and began making strategic investments in various startups. His first investment was in Square, Inc. in 2010, followed by other notable companies such as Pinterest, Wish, Flexe, EasyPost, inDinero, Cargomatic,Classpass and Everlane. Acequia Capital has invested in over 350 companies to date and has seeded 18 unicorns as of Dec 2023.

Personal Life
Outside of his professional endeavors, Vigil has been involved in philanthropy and is known for his active participation in the startup community.