Georgia Tech Athletics Donor Profile: Tripp Rackley

It's not unusual to hear someone say that attending Georgia Tech changed his or her life, but Tripp Rackley sees the proof of it everyday.

"My wife, my business partners, my investors and the founder and CEO of my most recent venture investment all went to Georgia Tech," noted the 1992 Industrial Engineering graduate. "I can say that Georgia Tech significantly changed my life."

And what an extraordinary life the 33-year-old has led. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Rackley and his family moved to Roswell, an Atlanta suburb, in the early 80's. He attended Roswell High School and decided to pursue engineering, which led him to enroll at Georgia Tech in 1988.

"I loved being a student at Georgia Tech," he said. "It was hard, but it was a great challenge. Being a Sigma Chi at Georgia Tech was key aspect of my experience in school. I really encourage students to participate in the fraternity system; it really rounds out the collegiate experience."

Rackley's interest was piqued by the potential of online commerce. In 1996, he incorporated nFront and sought financial backing for the technology company. Fellow Georgia Tech graduate Charlie Moseley of Noro-Moseley Partners emerged as the lead investor.

"Charlie really took at chance on me that I didn't fully realize at the time. Every entrepreneur truly believes that their idea is going to be the next Microsoft with no risks. The reality is quite different; only a small percentage of venture-backed companies become major successes. Noro-Moseley Partners took the risk to invest in nFront in 1997, which was before the Internet craze. We had been in business for 1 1/2 year and were doing quite well but I was still only 27 years old. I did not get the money because management team (Steven Neel, Mgt '93, Derek Porter, Mgt '94, Alan Powell ISYE '92) and I were from Georgia Tech, but it didn't hurt."

nFront quickly became the leader in developing full-service online banking solutions for financial institutions. Microsoft coined it the "Best Internet Banking Solution," while Ernst and Young named Rackley regional South-East "Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2000.

After taking nFront public, Rackley lead a merger with Digital Insight (nFront's top competitor) valuing nFront at over $500 million dollars. He served as vice chairman for a year before deciding take time off to "recharge my brain."

Rackley and his wife Blair, who he met in a Tech physics class ("She was the best thing I got out of that class," he cracked.), had a very busy 1999. In addition to taking nFront public and merging with Digital Insight, they had their first child. The Rackley family continues to grow; they have two children and are expecting their third child at the end of November.

Rackley's role model is his Father, "My Dad had a very successful business career; he worked very hard and always kept our family first. That is easier said than done. I refuse to be the guy who wished he spent more time with his family. I cherish every moment. You will see me at the basketball games trying to follow the game while running up and down the aisle getting popcorn for the kids. I love it."

On the business front, Rackley had the option to go in any direction, but he found himself gravitating back to a familiar arena.

"I have a passion for technology," he explained, "It's what I like to do. I look at it as a hobby. Creating solutions that touch and impact the world is a big deal to me. There are four million end users running on a platform we wrote at nFront. That's exciting."

So Rackley joined Noro-Moseley as the venture capital firm's entrepreneur-in-residence. He evaluates potential business opportunities and invests along side the firm, as well as work on developing new technologies.

His job brings him in close contact with a number of companies associated with Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center. His latest venture (Broadsouce) involves fellow alumni (Bird Blitch ISYE '95). "It makes you feel good when you're dealing with someone that went to Georgia Tech," he stated. "You know they're smart and usually resourceful."

Rackley also sang the praises of the school's new Technology Square, an expansion of the campus that focuses on merging business and technology.

"Technology Square is phenomenal," he remarked. "When you walk in the place, you can feel ideas being generated. The more we can do to foster interaction between people doing research and students, the better job we'll do in creating a great technology community."

In addition to his business relationship with Georgia Tech, Rackley sits on the ISYE advisory board. He's also a life member of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund and serving a second term on its board.

"I think we do a great job with the Athletic program," adds Rackley, who is a fixture at football and basketball games. "It's not easy to run an athletic program at Tech, because we don't have cushy degrees. I know how hard I worked at Georgia Tech, so I can't imagine keeping up with a football or basketball schedule."

Keeping strong ties to Georgia Tech is important to Rackley, and he endorsed the direction of the school and the athletic program. "My philosophy is, 'Don't just say things, get in there and do it.' That's why I like working with the school. I think they listen, especially Dr. Clough," he said. "They are always thinking of ways to make the school better."