Sal DeTrane
Board of Directors / Co-Founder
Sal is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Empactful Capital (EC) as well as a Co-Founder and Board member of Empactful Advisors. Based in San Francisco, he has a penchant for strategy, growth planning and operational execution. Mr. DeTrane has 25 years of experience in venture capital, business development, OD, operations and finance roles. Sal has been instrumental in EC’s Fund I investments, including Innovatel, Telepsychiatry, veda, Care Continuity, Clutch, Kermit, Owl Insights, Amava and Perspecta.
Mr. DeTrane developed the business plan for EC after successfully executing an investment and 12-year operating role at MedeAnalytics, Inc. (“Mede”). As its #2 executive (Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Administrative Officer), Sal led Mede’s growth plan from $3 million to over $120 million in revenues. Sal had P&L responsibility for Mede’s highly successful channel distribution relationship with The Advisory Board Company which generated several hundred million dollars in revenues for Mede from 2003-2017. This channel relationship was regarded as the most successful in digital health and drove Sal’s appreciation for the power and criticality of a balanced distribution plan in the healthcare technology market. Mr. DeTrane brings this growth experience and related frameworks to EC’s portfolio companies including access to a broad ecosystem of channel partner relationships.
Sal’s passion for advising early and growth stage entrepreneurs on their technology companies was developed when he moved to Silicon Valley in 1996. Prior to Mede, Mr. DeTrane co-founded Nucleus Partners in late 2001 which was based in Palo Alto. Nucleus’ business model was to serve as a venture capital and catalyst firm for seed and early-stage technology businesses – including pioneering the approach of leveraging a “working engagement” diligence model. Nucleus recruited 20 Operating Partners/Advisors that collectively had completed over 75 IPO and acquisition transactions. The Nucleus experience also enabled Mr. DeTrane to develop many of the investment frameworks and tools used at Empactful today.
Mr. DeTrane also served as a Director in Andersen’s Corporate Finance group in Silicon Valley. In this position, Sal was part of the founding team of Andersen’s technology industry-focused investment banking practice that advised clients on acquisition, sale and financing transactions.
Sal graduated Summa Cum Laude with his B.S. in Business Administration (emphasis in Accounting) from Temple University after receiving the university’s outstanding achievement (full 4-year) scholarship. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. DeTrane currently serves on the Board of Directors of several digital health private companies and on Temple University’s President’s Council and the Dean’s Council for the Fox Business School.