Barry Kent Fingerhut has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, the selectors choose individuals for profiling based on their current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field are all considered during the selection process.
Mr. Fingerhut is a distinguished venture capital investor and educational technology leader who has been the chief executive officer of Certification Partners for over 10 years. His career journey reflects a remarkable path of independence and determination that began at a young age. One pivotal moment instilled in him the value of self-reliance, which has guided his professional trajectory.
“What has allowed me to succeed is a huge experience when my father and grandfather died within three months of each other when I was 16,” reflects Mr. Fingerhut. “I realized at that point that I had to be independent. And that made me the man that I am.“
Building Success Through Self-Reliance and Innovation
Mr. Fingerhut’s professional career began on Wall Street, where he worked from 1971 to 1974 before moving to a firm uptown. More than 40 years ago, he co-founded Geocapital with a partner, where they specialized in managing equity in companies with market values under $100 million. Starting with just $20 million under management, they grew the firm substantially before selling it when they reached $2.5 billion in managed assets more than 25 years ago. The sale enabled Mr. Fingerhut and his partner to allow investors to realize substantial profits and reinvest in new ventures.
While still managing Geocapital, Mr. Fingerhut co-founded Wheatley Partners, a series of venture firms focusing on technology investments. After he successfully built and sold these ventures by 1999, he operated independently as an investor before starting his own firm three years later, focusing on investment and education.
“Venture capital for me is not what people think it is,” explains Mr. Fingerhut. “Making an initial investment is important but working with management after you’ve done that to help is more important. And no one ever thinks of it that way. Getting involved in a company takes time but is normally fruitful.“
Over the past 15 years, Mr. Fingerhut has served as the chief executive officer of Certification Partners. Living in New York, he stepped in to secure the company’s success. His leadership focuses on developing important certifications and educational materials.
Mr. Fingerhut has guided Certification Partners to deliver over two million courses and issue approximately 300,000 certifications in information technology and other fields. He and his team recently expanded the company into artificial intelligence and cybersecurity education, focusing primarily on K-12 through college education.
Beyond his work with Certification Partners, Mr. Fingerhut manages a Job Corps Center in Jacksonville, Florida, which provides education and vocational training to at-risk youth aged 18 to 24. Working under contracts with the U.S. Department of Labor, the staff at the center focus on career readiness and life skills development, helping participants find pathways to employment and achieve self-sufficiency.
“I focus not on making money but on changing the world. I believe in repairing the world, which is very important to me,“ states Mr. Fingerhut regarding his professional philosophy.
Mr. Fingerhut’s extensive leadership roles include chairman of the Board of Directors for Covenant Learning Solutions and board member for Wizmo Inc. (both for more than five years to date), and chairman of YourTango.com for more than 15 years. He served as a director for Carriage Services for nine years, board member of the National Forest Foundation for seven years and director at Achievement First for six years.
As a dedicated supporter of community initiatives, Mr. Fingerhut sits on the Board of Trustees at the Desert Botanical Garden, the Executive Board of Philanthropy at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute and the Board of the Arizona Opera Company
Mr. Fingerhut’s academic background includes a Master of Business Administration from the New York University Stern School of Business, earned in 1969, and a Bachelor of Science in pre-law studies from the University of Maryland, completed in 1967. He is also a prolific author with nine published novels, including his most recent work, “The Power of Verse”, published in 2024. His other novels include “The Illusion of Time,” “Voice of Gehenneh” and “Nadezhda, The Queen.”
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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