Ben Franklin Partners names Sider VP of business development

Ben Franklin Technology Partners, which has an office in Bethlehem, has promoted John Sider to the newly created position of vice-president of business development.  

In this role, Sider will be responsible for strategic initiatives and external partnerships focused on growing resources for the organization and its clients. He will also be providing managerial support to the regional portfolio managers. 

A seasoned member of the Ben Franklin team, Sider began his career with the program, which invests in early-stage tech startups and small manufacturers, eight years ago as the director of second stage capital. He was instrumental in developing relationships with many venture capital and angel investor groups. Sider initiated nine successful federal funding opportunities for nearly $2 million. 

He also led Ben Franklin’s effort in creating a new $11 million venture capital fund based in State College and played a key role in the attraction and production of Steve Cases’ 2018 Rise of the Rest tour in South Central Pennsylvania. 

Prior to his current post, Sider held various positions related to economic development in Pennsylvania. He was the managing director of statewide initiatives for the Ben Franklin network, senior policy advisor for Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes, and was appointed to the position of deputy secretary for the Technology Investment Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development after serving for four years as the program’s director of venture investment. 

With a Master of Business Administration degree from Temple University as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College, Sider spent the early years of his career in several small business banking positions.  

With certifications in a variety of lending, financing, and business development strategy programs, he was selected for the 2021 class of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI) and graduated as an ALI Fellow.