Keith Benjamin, You Will Be Missed

For the past few years I’ve had the pleasure of having Keith Benjamin as an advisor to my investment fund.  Every quarter, without fail, Keith would make time for a sit down lunch in which we would discuss trends in industry and the venture business, his own deals, and his take on the public markets.  As a former Wall Street analyst at Robertson Stevens, Keith had an excellent appreciation of the public markets and I always found his insights to be thought provoking.  Keith had accomplished a lot as an analyst analyst and investor, but he always had a low-key, welcoming, and friendly disposition. 

At our last lunch Keith was filled with enthusiasm about his deals, especially one that was on the verge of filing to go public.  He was also looking forward to the summer and spending some quality vacation time with his family. 

One of the things we also discussed from time to time over our lunches was Keith’s passion for boxing as a way to both stay in shape and to challenge himself both mentally and physically.  Keith sprinkled boxing anecdotes into his blog from time to time and The Chronicle had even written an article about Keith and his passion.  Sadly, Keith died Monday as a result of an injury sustained during one of his boxing workouts.

It’s quite a shock to learn that someone so vibrant, so intelligent and so congenial has left this earth.  About the only consolation I can think of is that at least he died doing something he had a great passion for and clearly enjoyed.