MIT AI Conference
Kelly Porter
Woodside Capital Partners

Kelly Porter

Woodside Capital Partners, Lead Managing Partner

Kelly Porter is the Lead Managing Partner of Woodside Capital Partners. He has participated in dozens of transactions, including financings, acquisitions and IPO’s. He is also the organizer of MASiV: The M&A Silicon Valley Gathering, the most exclusive conference of top corporate development executives from the largest internet, software, mobile, technology and entertainment companies, held every January. Kelly is also the producer of the hit YouTube series: “The Two-Minute M&A Advisor”. Prior to Woodside Capital Partners, Kelly was Managing Partner of a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, ZAP Ventures, where he invested in 22 companies. Prior to ZAP Ventures, he held positions as Chairman and CEO of CatchTV, an interactive TV software firm (acquired by Liberty Media/ACTV); Executive Vice President of InterActive Corp/HSN-Home Shopping Network; Vice President of Fox Cable Networks in Los Angeles; Media Planner at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising; and Director of Business Development at Seltel, an TV station ad sales network. Kelly is a native of Palo Alto, CA, earned a Masters as a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and earned a Bachelor’s degree from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California. He is a member of the Board of Councilors of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and is former Co-Chairman of Silicon Valley Social Ventures / SV2. He is a Fellow in Class 33 of the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley.

Full AgendaLinkedIn
October 17, 2026

On the agenda

  • The $100 Million Paradox: What 1,500 AI Acquisitions Reveal and What Comes Next

    2:15 PMBoole

    Join Kelly Porter, Lead Managing Partner at Woodside Capital Partners, a 20-year M&A veteran who will share observations from analyzing 1,500 AI acquisitions completed over the last 12 months and what they reveal about today’s market. Workshop participants will learn how valuation shapes exit opportunities, why crossing the $100 million threshold can create unexpected constraints, and what the surge in AI M&A suggests about the market ahead. The workshop will conclude with Q&A, giving participants an opportunity to ask questions about valuations, exit strategies, and current market dynamics.