Benny Joseph
Venture Partner
Benny Joseph is an entrepreneur, technology executive, and investor with more than two decades of experience building software products and the teams behind them. His career spans founding a startup acquired by Intuit, leading product and engineering at TurboTax, and helping Allbirds grow from an early consumer brand into a public company. He combines deep technical training with firsthand experience across product development, company leadership, and venture investing.
Benny co-founded V1VC with Brett Jackson in 2015 and serves as a Venture Partner. He brings the perspective of an active technology leader to the firm’s work with early-stage founders. His background connects the technical decisions made inside engineering teams with the commercial and organizational challenges of building a business, from choosing what to build and recruiting early talent to supporting customers as a company grows.
He is currently Chief Technology Officer at Sur La Table, the specialty kitchenware and culinary education company. The role builds on his experience with consumer businesses where software shapes how customers discover products, shop, and interact with a brand across digital and physical channels.
Before Sur La Table, Benny joined Allbirds as its twelfth employee and first engineering hire. He became Head of Engineering and later Chief Technology Officer, serving through the company’s 2021 IPO. During his tenure, Allbirds expanded from a small team into an international business with retail stores and offices around the world. His responsibilities also extended to culture and supply chain leadership, giving him experience across the technology, people, and operations of a global consumer company.
Previously, Benny co-founded and served as CEO of GoodApril, a tax-planning software company designed to help consumers identify savings and make better financial decisions throughout the year. Intuit acquired GoodApril in 2013 while the company was participating in Techstars Boulder, before its Demo Day. Following the acquisition, Benny joined TurboTax in a director role spanning product and engineering, moving from building an independent startup to developing consumer financial software within an established technology company.
Earlier in his career, Benny held engineering and product roles at E*TRADE, Waterfall, and Zecco. These experiences built his foundation in financial technology, software architecture, and translating customer needs into products.
Benny holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech, with a focus on machine learning, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
