Robert von goeben

Robert von Goeben is an entrepreneur and author who has worked in consumer products, venture capital, and entertainment.

Currently, Robert is a professor in the MBA program at Portland State University. Previously, he was a professor at California College of the Arts in San Francisco, teaching in both the MFA and MBA programs.

Robert was a co-founder of Green Toys, the leading manufacturer of eco-friendly children’s products, and a pioneer in the use of recycled material in consumer products. Within five years of launch, Green Toys had distribution in over 80 countries and was carried by major U.S. retailers such as Amazon, Costco, Whole Foods, Pottery Barn, and Target. Robert was the company’s CEO and head of product development, and retired from the business after the sale of the company to private equity firm The Friend Group.

Robert previously founded Propellerhead Studios, a Silicon Valley design studio specializing in electronic toys and games. Propellerhead worked with many leading toy companies, including Mattel, Radica and Wild Planet.

During the ‘90s, Robert worked as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. He was the founder and Managing Director of Starter Fluid, a successful venture capital fund backed by institutional investors, including Compaq Computers and the University of Chicago. Before that, Robert was also a founding director of Redleaf Venture Management, one of Silicon Valley’s first Internet-focused venture capital funds.

In the early ‘90s, Robert started and ran the online division of Geffen Records, establishing one of the first online programs in the entertainment industry. In 1994, Robert and the Geffen team developed what is considered the first digital delivery of music, for which Robert was nominated for the ComputerWorld award by the Smithsonian Institution. Before that Robert, worked in digital imaging with Applied Graphics Technologies working with leading entertainment companies such as Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, MCA, etc.

Robert is the author of nine published books. His most recent book is POSTER CHILD: The Psychedelic Art & Technicolor Life of David Edward Byrd published fall of 2023 by Abrams Books. It chronicles the life and work of the acclaimed poster artist David Edward Byrd. The book reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller list for rock music books, and #2 for the list for books on art. He was also the co-author of The VC Comic Strip, a widely read parody of the venture capital industry.

Robert has an MBA from the University of Southern California and a BA in Mathematics from the State University of New York.

He holds two US Patents in the field of toys and games, won an IDSA design award, and two of his products have hit #1 on the Amazon best-seller lists (one for toys and one for rock music books.) He has received a ridiculous credit on a Beavis and Butthead album, and the honor of having one of his products depicted on South Park.

For a full list of professional experience, go to Robert's LinkedIn page.