Terry Hicks, former VP at Ben Franklin Technology Partners, has died

Terry Hicks, beloved investor and former vice president at Ben Franklin Technology Partners, passed away Thursday at the age of 66.

Hicks, who joined the state-backed seed stage capital provider in 1993, had a background in finance and directly worked on the organization’s investment into hundreds of companies.

“We were shocked and saddened to be advised of Terry’s passing yesterday,” said Ben Franklin president and CEO RoseAnn Rosenthal. “He was a devoted and beloved member of our team at Ben Franklin for 22 years. His always pleasant smile, integrity, and professionalism was present every day, in all of his interactions, with staff, companies and partners. He was a great role model for so many, and will be sorely missed.

Stephen Tang, CEO of OraSure and former head of the University City Science Center, mourned Hicks’ passing on Thursday.

“Rest in peace, Terry Hicks,” Tang tweeted. “A wonderful man who made a tremendous impact on Philadelphia’s entrepreneurial community.”

Bob Moul, who until 2017 served on Ben Franklin’s board of directors, echoed Tang’s comment.

“Very sad,” Moul said. “Enjoyed working [with] Terry on the [Ben Franklin] board. He was always so positive. Made me smile. He will be missed.”

Friends, we mourn the loss of Terry Hicks. His leadership of the Investment Group at Ben Franklin through 2015 guided the growth of hundreds of companies in our region. His heart & wisdom touched us and more beyond any number. We will share details re: services as we have them. pic.twitter.com/XkcWDhyLw5

— Ben Franklin (@bftp_sep) October 19, 2018

In a 2011 interview published by Technical.ly, Hicks was asked what Philly, as a city and hub of tech in the northeast corrideor, did well:

“We do well at generating ideas out of Philly Startup Leaders, The Hacktory to see that excitement that we didn’t see five or 10 years ago,” Hicks told Technical.ly Philly cofounder Sean Blanda. “The community in the IT area is great. We are a life science hot spot and there’s a lot of talent here for that. We are significant players in that arena, but we always need more money to keep them moving and in Pennsylvania.”