Next Legacy was born out of the combination of Next Play Capital and Legacy Venture. We are grateful to those who founded and shaped these firms, and we carry each of their legacies with us still today. You can learn about each of these foundational partners below.

Ronnie Lott, a four-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer, is renowned as a humanitarian, social entrepreneur, activist, and engaged global citizen who was a founding impetus of Next Play Capital. Beyond his distinguished NFL career, Lott is committed to serving others. In 1989, he and his wife founded "All Stars Helping Kids," a non-profit that has raised over $30 million to disrupt the cycle of poverty by supporting education, career readiness, health, and wellness for Bay Area youth. Lott also co-founded Champion Charities in 2004 to fund research on and support patients with brain tumors. Additionally, he lends his name to the Lott IMPACT® Trophy and actively serves on various boards including Hall of Fame Health, SuRo Capital, Sutter Rock Capital, Multiplying Good Bay Area, Palo Alto Advisory, The Golden Heart Fund, True Capital Management, GSV Capital, and the Santa Clara University Board of Trustees, The Basic Fund and Tipping Point Community, contributing to charitable causes and organizations aiming to make a positive impact.

Chris Eyre served as Managing Director for Legacy Venture from 2001-2017 and a Partner Emeritus from 2018-2023. Chris was a venture capitalist for over 45 years. Initially managing venture activities for Bank of America, he and partners formed Merrill Pickard Anderson & Eyre in 1979. After a lengthy career with MPAE, Chris retired to devote more time to fathering a family of 5 children. His partners later formed Benchmark Capital and Foundation Capital. Chris joined Legacy Venture in 2001. He took a sabbatical from Legacy to preside over the Toronto mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (2008 -2011). In 2017, Chris moved to Emeritus status at Legacy to devote more time to grandfathering a growing portfolio of grandchildren, now numbering 20. Chris served on the board of directors of numerous private and public companies as well as nonprofit organizations and was an active impact investor and philanthropist. Chris earned a BS from Utah State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.  In December 2023, Chris passed away, but his Legacy is forever with us and all whom he touched in his outstanding life.

Alan Marty served as Managing Director for Legacy Venture from 2008 – 2022 and is a Partner Emeritus to Next Legacy. Alan brought a wealth of investment, philanthropic, and technology perspectives to the firm. Prior to Next Legacy, he led venture capital activities for NASA, including the SpaceX investment, to replace the space shuttle. NASA presented Alan with its highest honor, the Exceptional Public Service Medal. Before NASA, he led nanotechnology venture investing for JP Morgan Partners, was a General Manager for both the integrated circuit business at Hewlett-Packard and the microdisplay business at Agilent Technologies. Earlier in his career, he founded an innovative company in the sports market, served as a White House Fellow, and obtained 46 issued patents in computer vision and the internet of things. Alan received his B.S. in Materials Science from Iowa State University. At Stanford University, he received both an MBA from the Graduate School of Business and a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Education. He and his wife, Cindy, have two daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.

Jim Anderson was the founding motivation behind Legacy Venture and has remained a mentor and informal advisor to Next Legacy since his retirement. Jim has over two decades in venture capital, including founding partnership positions in Merrill Pickard Anderson & Eyre and in Foundation Capital, with collectively well over $1 billion in capital commitments. Before working in venture capital, Jim was with Hewlett-Packard’s Computer Systems Group where he held various marketing management positions. Jim has continued activities in the valley as an early-stage investor with a particular focus in the environmental arena especially regarding global warming. Jim holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BSEE and MSEE from Purdue University.