Chris Maher

Founder & General Partner, Samaritan Partners

Chris Maher is the Founder and General Partner at Samaritan Partners, a public benefit impact venture capital fund. Samaritan is striving to create a more inclusive and accessible world by accelerating capital investment and partnership in early-stage, for-profit companies serving the disability community. Present portfolio companies include Be My Eyes, Wheel the World, Sign-Speak, and Making Space. Prior to founding Samaritan, Chris spent 25 years as an operator and CEO of a variety of companies across a broad cross-section of the digital economy including SaaS, AdTech, MarTech, consumer research, and data businesses. Over the years, Chris has developed extensive operational expertise across sales, marketing, people management, product, finance, and strategic planning. In addition, he has considerable experience in raising capital and M&A work. Previously, Chris spent a decade coaching Division I college basketball at several schools including Boston College, Dartmouth College, and Brown University. A coach at heart, Chris has spent the past 30+ years building, mentoring, and leading teams. The impetus for starting Samaritan Partners is anchored in Chris’ broad entrepreneurial background and a passionate desire to help those in need or that are facing adversity. Chris and his wife have raised two beautiful daughters, both of whom live with physical or developmental disabilities. This led the family to get deeply involved with their local school district and community organizations that offer services to enhance the lives of children with disabilities. They have also supported several other family members and close friends navigating life-altering challenges and therefore have dedicated time to raising money and volunteering for various nonprofit organizations.