David Wilhelm

David Wilhelm (born 2 October, 1956) is an American political operative and businessman. A native of Appalachian Ohio, Wilhelm focuses on spurring sustainable economic growth in rural areas. He is the founder and president of Woodland Venture Management, one of the nation's leading sources of venture capital in regions of the country that lie between the coasts and are ignored by most investors.

Quotations

• "If you want to win, always be the aggressor. Always. Get on offense and stay there. That's it, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you and good night." - 8/13/02, speech at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland
• "The flip-side of a capital gap is a market opportunity." - 3/5/05, speech at the FamilyFarmed.org gala.
• "I am a Christian and I am a Democrat. However inconvenient it might be, God is an Independent." - 9/10/93, speech to Christian Coalition
• "When I was younger, the Don Quixote types easily impressed me. But effectiveness comes with the realization that there is no moral superiority in constantly losing." - 5/1/05, commencement address at the University of Charleston
• "Little is more tragic than a 21 year-old cynic, except perhaps for a 50 year-old cynic who once dreamed big dreams. The moment you lose your big idea is the moment that your day turns to twilight." - 5/1/05, commencement address at the University of Charleston
• "Winning is not the end game in life; winning for a reason is." - 1/23/05, Speech accepting the Bow Tie Award from Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century
• "If you are a true believer, if the rationale for your political participation lies beyond mere self-aggrandizement, you know that there are no such things as lost causes, just battles not yet won." - 8/13/02, speech at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland