John Parker
Founder and Managing Director, Springhood Ventures

John founded Springhood Ventures to address the funding gap in child health innovation. Springhood provides critical early investment and support to companies developing important healthcare solutions for children. In parallel to this role, he established and manages the program-related investment (PRI) initiative of the Charles H. Hood Foundation, a Boston-based private foundation that supports pediatric research, where he also serves as a trustee. 

John is an observer on the boards of Prapela, Inc., Aldatu Biosciences, Breegi Scientific, and Noninvasix, Inc., and he serves as an advisor to the BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases, the DRIVEN Accelerator Hub, the International Society of Pediatric Innovation, and a number of pre-commercial pediatric-focused startups. He is also a frequent speaker on pediatric innovation, investment in child health solutions, and impact-first investing.

Previously, John spent 25 years in the alternative investment industry, including senior roles in venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. Early in his career he worked in operations consulting and international merchant banking. Although currently living in the Boston area with his wife and their three children, John spent portions of his career in New York, Tokyo and Sydney and has done business in over 20 countries on 6 continents. John has a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.