DE222 Honoree: Vance Kershne

Title: President & CEO

Vance Kershner

Workplace: LabWare

Alma Mater: University of Delaware

Boards: Multiplying Good, University of Delaware College of Engineering Advisory Council, Carvertise, BarVision, AirGreen

Q&A: What was your first job? “I worked for my parents’ soft-pretzel factory, assisting with both manufacturing and driving the delivery van around town.”

A former DuPont scientist, Vance Kershner left to found LabWare in 1987, developing a software to better streamline workflow and track lab processes. Today, it is claimed that a product that has been affected by LabWare is always within 6 feet of us – ranging from medicines to foods, gas to chemicals. More than 1 billion samples go through LabWare software each year from 2,500 customers in 125 countries. With the success of LabWare, Kershner has become increasingly involved in a variety of other pursuits, including co-founding the venture capital firm Leading Edge Ventures, operating Wilmington-area restaurants Buckley’s Tavern and Goober’s Diner, and developing overseas resorts in the British Virgin Islands and South Africa.