David Southern is a finance professional with over 40 years of experience in biopharma and technology companies. He has held leadership positions in both private venture-funded and publicly-traded companies. His interest in the future of higher education is a natural extension of his study of business culture changes driven by demographic and technological advances detailed in his book Business Apocalypse and the Evolution of Today’s Organizations. He is particularly interested in redefining the college experience to prepare students for the rapidly changing work world. Previously he served on the Board of Community Educational Services, a non-profit organization providing language tutoring and after-school programming for San Francisco’s Chinese immigrant youth. On a personal note, during the Covid Pandemic, he and his husband walked every street of San Francisco. In addition, he has a lifelong interest in the martial arts, having studied both Kenpo Karate and Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu styles. He joined the Antioch College Board of Trustees in 2026.