About David Drake

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David Drake

David Drake is the Founder and Principal at LDJ Capital, a single family office with family office partners globally. LDJ Capital serves as a gateway to access this extended network of worldwide funds. It is the holding company for Victoria Partners, a 489 family office network based in London; LDJ Real Estate Group; Tech & AI Division; and The Soho Loft Media Group.
Its Capital Market division serves private firms and public firms listed in Europe, MENA, Asia, or the Americas who want to go public in the US via NYSE or NASDAQ. LDJ Capital's public equity expansion brings offices and presence for industrial in Seoul, for biotech in Stockholm, Riyadh to US SPACs and IPOs in the $300M-$850M middle market.
David has invested both as a GP and LP in fund-of-funds, realty funds, VC funds, and hedge funds. He has been involved in social impact investments in private equity and public equity for 25 years. In 2009-2010, he held a majority stake as a Managing Partner with Robert Hambrecht in the alternative energy fund. He also invested in fintech, artificial intelligence, technology, media and telecommunications, insurance, life sciences, defense industry, and beverages from hydrogen-infused water to the worlds largest bubble tea firm - a family business that did an IPO 2018 and five star hotel acquisitions and development globally from NY, London, to Rome. His NYC luxury corporate housing and hotel acquisitions led to his work in New York realty. He also made investments in media and will shortly announce an investment into an existing $200M billion network with a global reach and a 20 year history while a new $500 million VC fund will be announced shortly. His 2 co General Partners held CIO and Chairman positions at San Francisco's $22 billion and LA County $72 billion pension fund over 10 years each.
David is considered a leader in ventures, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. He saw the value of digital assets before it became popular. It all started in 2011 when David collaborated on the JOBS Act to create new laws underlying all fundraising in the U.S. Because of his leading work in this space, he represented the US Commerce Department in the talks with the EU Commission at the Transatlantic Forum in Brussels and Rome in 2012 and was invited to the White House Champions of Change in Washington, D.C. and was a speaker for the UK Crowdfunding Day at the UK Parliament in 2013. In 2022, he represented the US Commerce Trade Department in Hong Kong.
His investment, The Soho Loft Media Group, produced and sponsored over 200 global conferences annually since 2000 and his articles are syndicated in over 100 publications. One such event was in April 2013 for the institutional media leader Thomson Reuters with speakers from NASDAQ, NYSE, KKR, and Carlyle Group. He advances financial innovation through his work as an international speaker and writer. He has spoken in top universities like Cambridge, NYU, Cornell, Columbia, and has written for major publications like WSJ, Forbes, Huffington Post, Venture Beat, Entrepreneur, and Thomson Reuters.
Privately, David has hosted the Harvard Business Club of NY at his home, produced Carnegie Hall concerts, and raised funds for the charities Trail Blazers and Best Buddies for many years. His years in the performing arts as a former board adviser to The Washington Ballet reached an apex in March 2015 with a board director position at the New York City Opera.
Born in Sweden and speaks six languages, David has an MBA in Finance and an MA in International Law and Economics from George Washington University where he was awarded the Wallenberg Scholarship for academic merit.

Articles 

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David Drake was an NYC Opera Board Director.

NYC Opera: Bizet's "Carmen" for 80 family offices in a penthouse

(Article by David Drake. Published on Huffpost.com)

Last week, 80 New York socialites attended an intimate and luxurious evening of live opera at the Wellness Building on 66 East 11th Street where both Deepak Chopra and Leonardo DiCaprio have purchased apartments.

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David Drake was the US Commerce Dept. Trade Representative to the EU in Brussels and Rome

Brussels/Rome: US Commerce/EU Commission Talks on Fintech and Capital Access

(Article on David Drake. Published on TheSohoLoft.com)

The US Commerce department delegation conducted a workshop and symposium in Brussels July 10, 2012. It gathered experts from the US and EU discussing topics of increasing Small and Medium-sized Enterprise access to capital formation, reduction in non-tariff costs and removal of red tape in a more competitive landscape.

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David Drake was a long-time Strategic Advisor for The Washington Ballet

The Washington Ballet: 'Sleepy Hollow'

(Article by David Drake. Published on Huffpost.com)

In February, I went to Washington D.C. to watch The Washington Ballet's 'Sleepy Hollow' premiere edition at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. I have been a Board Advisor for The Washington Ballet for the last two years and was curious what new thing can ballet do to an iconic literary piece.

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The Washington Ballet: 'Noche de Pasion'

(Article by David Drake. Published on Huffpost.com)

The new edition of performers and the charm of the artistic director Septime Webre were only exceeded by his impromptu Cuban salsa in sync with his Latin ballet dancers.

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(Special Guest Contribution by David Drake)



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Six Mistakes I’ve Learned Through Failure


I have failed hundreds of times with startups. From coupon cutting to club promoting, from restaurant services to technology companies, from venture-capital funds to hedge funds, you name it and I can tell you where I failed.

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Top 10 Rules of Thumb for Startups


In my more than 20 years as a serial entrepreneur and investor, I have seen a few common mistakes among startups and entrepreneurs. Here are some tips to fix those mistakes:


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Startups Cannot Live Without Outsourcing


Despite its known drawbacks, outsourcing is a smart strategy that an entrepreneur can use well beyond its benefits of keeping overhead costs and operational expenses to a minimum.


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(Articles by David Drake)


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2013: What's In Store For Crowdfunding And Angel Investors


CrowdFunding will lead the way!
The first half of 2013 will be a time when self-assessed delivery, customer and consumer communication and angel experience in quality control and supply chain operations will become key topics. Governance topics will evolve subsequently by Q3 2013.

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Italy Leads The U.S. -- In Equity Crowdfunding


Last March 29, Italy’s Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa (CONSOB), the equivalent of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US, submitted requests for public commenting on the equity crowdfunding rules currently considered. It seems that Italy will surpass the JOBS Act in the implementation of the first equity crowdfunding law in the world.

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Crowdfunding's Latest Invasion: Real Estate


Crowdfunding is rapidly changing the real-estate investment market, offering developers new ways to finance projects, small investors a way in, and the socially conscious an avenue to support their local communities—and their local farms.


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(Articles by David Drake)


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Where to find the next Devil’s Violinist – and the next Paganini of 24 Caprices


Maria Paganini had no relatives since Niccolo Paganini (1872-1840) rose to infamy levels as the Devil’s Violinist. None of the Italian or Argentinian Paganini families dared to live up to the greatest violinist of all time.




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Alternative Finance Update: Top 4 Emerging Leaders in Real Estate Crowdfunding


The crowdfunding industry offers real estate entrepreneurs and investors the financial technology solutions, the conducive regulatory environment, and the opportunity to access and raise capital for real estate projects. As the industry’s competitive landscape continue to evolve at a rapid pace, new real estate crowdfunding firms enter the scene and challenge the market dominance of platforms who were leading the pack as early entrants to the space.

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A growth story in the midst of bad news


Real estate crowdfunding is on the rise and is inarguably the hottest sector within the crowdfunding industry in the United States. In 2014, a total of $1 billion was raised through reale state crowdfunding platforms alone.




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(formerly owned by Thomson Reuters)


(Articles by David Drake)

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The Economics of Immigration


We need to retain brain capital in the U.S. as the foreign nationals who exit our universities with graduate degrees are currently not allowed to stay. Entrepreneurs return home and end up competing with American companies – removing potential jobs that should be kept in the U.S.

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Stepping on the Peers


Institutional investors are taking over the nascent peer-to-peer lending industry, and in doing so, taking the “peer” out of the equation. For their part, “peer-to-peer” lending platforms like Lending Club, Prosper, FundingCircle, Zopa, Peerform, and Ratesetter are embracing the shift.

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A Storm is Coming: PE Funds Fall Under Reg D 506 C


In spite of prior delays, on August 29, 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission finally issued its first proposals for rules under the Jobs Act that would relax general solicitation for accredited investors.

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(Articles by David Drake)

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A Crowded Room with Barry Sternlicht and Kent Swig: New Financing for Real Estate


When Joe Rubin (FundingPost) and I were planning for this Real Estate Investing conference we knew that crowdfunding’s foray into real estate is a promising innovation to the financing and investing industry. We were compelled to bring people, entrepreneurs and investors, media and spectators, to join in the talks in order to sharpen the game.

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Barry Sternlicht, American billionaire and Chairman/CEO of Starwood Capital Group, spoke at David's real estate financing conference

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David Drake and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

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Spoke at the UK Parliament with Sir David Attenborough - English Broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, and author - at the first UK Crowdfunding Day

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Worked on the US JOBS Act with David Weild IV, ex-Vice Chairman of NASDAQ, and Congressman Patrick McHenry, author of the Crowdfunding Bill H.R. 2930

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Board of Directors at Placido Domingo's NYC Opera

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Speaking at the Nasdaq HQ

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At Nasdaq with Jim Rogers (3rd from left), American investor, co-founder of Quantum Fund and Soros Fund Management, and financial commentator based in Singapore

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Presented Award to his fellow Swede, Rocky IV Actor Dolph Lundgren

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With "Sugar" Shane Mosley, American former professional boxer