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Zane Tarence (born on December 18, 1965) is a Managing Director of Technology at Founders Investment Banking, an independent financial and business advisory firm based in Birmingham, Alabama. A successful entrepreneur, he founded Virtual Learning Technologies, a business he sold to publishing giant, Houghton-Mifflin. (1) Tarence also worked as a lead consultant in the IBM Southeast Area Region (one of the original six Internet Practices within IBM’s North America operations in the mid-90’s.

Early Life
Tarence was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, the son of a college speech professor. Through his father’s expert coaching, he was awarded first place in the Oratory Nationals’ Lads to Leaders contest while in 10th grade.

Graduating from Alabama Christian Academy at the top of his class, he had the honor of delivering the valedictorian speech.

College Days
While attending Auburn University in Montgomery, he founded a second business, this time a mail order operation. The company sold a line of custom portable lecterns that he designed and contracted out to be built by a national Victorian furniture manufacturer. Tarence paid his way through college with profits from his company, Zip Enterprises.

He graduated with honors from Auburn University in Montgomery with a B.S. in Business Administration. He earned a Masters in Organizational Management from Southern Christian University in 1997.

IBM Days
An IBM co-opt student during his junior and senior years, Tarence graduated from Auburn on Friday and went to work on Monday for the company. He worked there until 1997.

During his tenure, Tarence was selected to be one of the original six Internet consultants at IBM when it was the world’s dominant computer company. He developed Internet strategies for the Emerging Technologies division, working with Fortune 500 companies such as International Paper, Federal Express and Delta Airlines. “We forget how new this thing was. It was just a green screen peeking through the cracks six years ago. I was working with major companies to figure out if it was going to be a tool or a toy. When I saw what it could do, I became a convert,” Tarence said in a 2000 interview with Business Alabama. (2)

During these years, IBM encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship among employees as a way to grow its market share. Tarence was one of its most productive self-starters, founding three businesses within IBM’s structure.

Through his hard work and innovation, he achieved the IBM 100% Club for eight straight years. He was also named to the exclusive IBM Golden Circle, an elite group of high achievers. Less than 1% of IBM’s sales & marketing professionals receive this honor.

The prospects were so compelling for his third internal IBM business plan, that he ultimately left the company to found his own business, with the support and blessing of his former bosses.

Virtual Learning Technologies
Using IBM contracts and letterhead, Tarence created Virtual Learning Technologies. Through his work at the computing giant, he helped revolutionize testing and assessment of students. Far from the #2 pencil and paper circles to fill, he created a way to take tests online. The company rapidly grew to 48 employees and more than 300 educational and corporate customers in less than 30 months. (3)

The company was based on the premise that if companies could cut down on the five-day courses of knee-cap-to-knee-cap learning, they could save motel bills and meal charges, while making training more efficient. Using new technology, the Internet could provide excellent learn-to-earn possibilities.

Adding in the mega market of education institutions, the possibilities expanded with 118,000 schools, 5.1 million students and $350 billion spent on education. With an increased emphasis on measuring student achievement based on testing standards, online testing could serve millions of students. The kindergarten-to-retirement e-learning market proved to be high-growth and profitable.

The company created a variety of patented products. Proof of Proficiency (POP) tests students to see what skills they have and what skills they need to work on. Unlike paper tests, the results were immediate and teachers could keep data on student progress. (4)

CyberSTAR offered detailed reports for accountability and evaluated everything from a whole school district, to a single school, single teacher or single student. ACTNow was a computer training program teaching teachers how to use the computers. Many schools found that, while they entered the information superhighway, many teachers were left on the information dirt road. CyberExam was a corporate and higher education software platform used to enable skill and knowledge assessments in a compelling Internet-enabled interface.

That company was sold in May 2000 to Boston-based publisher, Houghton Mifflin for $15 million cash buyout. (5) Tarence joined the publishing company as its Vice President of Business Development.

Alliance Consulting
After a year with Houghton Mifflin, Tarence returned to his entrepreneurial roots in 2001. Founding Alliance Consulting, he raised the money for a venture fund to help small technology companies.

A hands-on consultant and operator, he often aided with operations to help his clients gain value. The mission of Alliance Consulting was to guide educational technology companies through the commercialization of intellectual property. Once products are created, independent consultants would help build national distribution. Tarence forged relationships with Fortune 500 companies and top educational publishers to enhance the companies he nurtured.

During this time, he took the role of CEO for one of his portfolio companies, Reveal Technologies. This company created AGILITY software tools capable of mining data throughout a school’s system. By using this tool, a school could study demographics, track test scores, evaluate learning systems and analyze expenses. The AGILITY Suite produced reports vital to the assessment and improvement of education, in schools and training programs. (6)

Founders Investment Banking
In 2007, Tarence moved to Founders Investment banking as a managing director and partner. He had served on the firm’s board for three years prior to this move. The mission is to assist profitable companies in creating rapid growth, value and liquidity. He serves as the Managing Director of the Technology practice for Founders Investment Banking.

Tarence focuses on brokering multi-million dollar deals for technology clients. (4) During his career he has guided more than 60 companies in successful processes to raise capital or to generate a sale to large corporations. This process has creating hundreds of millions in value for his clients.. His client list includes: GetRichSlowly.org, FrugalTravelGuy.com, Bargaineering.com, AboutAirportParking.com, Bankaholic.com, and NursingJobs.org. (7)

As part of his continuing effort to encourage entrepreneurship in his community of Birmingham, Ala., he aids new small business leaders as a Mentor for the Entrepreneur Accelerator Program for the Birmingham Venture Club. (8)

Speaking
As a speaker, his topics range from technology to capital markets to marriage counseling. He has spoken to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the League of Innovation, the National Association of Technology Centers, and University of Alabama Law students. (9)

While still at IBM, he spoke at the IBM Palisades Education & Training Symposium and the IBM Southern Area Branch Managers Annual meeting on the topic of the Internet & the Enterprise.

Since 2009, he has served as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Alabama Law School. He has shared in depth information on corporate law and capital investments. His classes include: Special Problems in Corporate Law: Alternative Capital Investments. Fall 2009 (One-Credit Graded “Mini-Course”). Dean Randall Private Equity and the Capital Markets. Fall 2010 Private Equity and the Capital Markets. Fall 2011

At the Association of Test Publishers National Convention, he has been a speaker on the Lead Technology Track for multiple years.

Pastoral Life
A graduate of Southern Christian University, Tarence is an ordained, interdenominational pastor who preaches at churches throughout the Southeast. He frequently speaks to churches and Christian groups on marriage and family issues. For 25 years, he has taught Sunday School classes for teens and adults.

Happily married, he often shares his experience and knowledge in marriage enrichment presentations at churches and weekend seminars through the Southeast. He is a certified Family Dynamic’s Course Instructor.

He is a founding board member of Fathers 4:8, which annually holds a father/daughter purity ball to encourage both to live godly lives. The name refers to Philippians 4:8, “to dwell on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.”

He has served on the board of AGAPE of Central Alabama, a Christian-based organization serving families and children. The goals of the non-profit nurture loving and supportive home environments for children through crisis pregnancy counseling, foster care and adoption services.

As part of his focus on the family, Tarence discovered that sexual addictions cause considerable pain and can be a source of family destruction. He serves on the board of Route 1520, which ministers to sexual addicts.

Family life
Tarence is married to Jamie Tarence. They have three daughters, Mary Judson and Anne Ellison (twins), and Emma Barksdale. Jamie Tarence blogs on marriage and family life at FamilySavvy.com.