John Banta serves as the CEO & Managing Director of IllinoisVENTURES, LLC, and the Managing Partner for the Illinois Emerging Technologies Funds managed by the firm. John is the former President and COO of DigitalWork, Inc., a Draper Fisher Jurvetson, TL Ventures and Dell Ventures portfolio company, having also served as its Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development. Prior to DigitalWork, John served as Vice President of Corporate Services for UBS, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Investment Management Consultant's Association. John works with a wide variety of portfolio companies, with an emphasis on clean technologies including renewables fuels and chemicals, water, and agriculture.  He serves as a Director on behalf of numerous portfolio businesses, as well as the Board of Directors of the Illinois Venture Capital Association and the iBio Institute, and the Advisory Boards of the Midwest Governor's Association, the Argonne Venture Accelerator Consortium, the Chicago Energy Trust and the Initiative for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern.  John earned an MBA in finance and statistics with high honors from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business where he has been a frequent guest lecturer, and a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Illinois College of Commerce.