Howard Mirowitz has over 30 years of experience in formulating and executing growth strategies and leading new high-tech product development. During his career, Howard co-managed Mitsubishi Electric’s U.S. high-tech business incubator which created the first web-capable smart phone, AT&T Wireless’s PocketNet, which launched at the Super Bowl. The incubator also seed-funded OpenWave, which had a successful IPO, continuing with a range of subsequent profitable investments in other key smart phone-related technologies.
Prior to this, Howard led advanced product planning and product marketing at Mitsubishi’s U.S. electronics subsidiary, where he launched several new products that achieved leading U.S. market share. At Western Digital, Howard spearheaded the acquisition of Paradise Systems, which subsequently achieved #1 share of the worldwide personal computer display controller market. Earlier, Howard headed market research and planning at Microdata Corporation and led Deloitte & Touche’s Philadelphia IT consulting practice.
Howard is very active in community and charitable work in Orange County. He is a long serving member of the Board of Directors of and was named Jewish Federation and Family Services of Orange County’s ‘Mensch of the Year’. He served for a period as it’s Acting CFO. He has been a long serving member of its Board of Directors and Chair of the Board of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Orange County. He was also honored with OneOC’s Volunteer of the Year award. He has served as Co-Chair of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Measure M Taxpayers’ Oversight Committee and as Co-Chair of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s Measure A Community Oversight Committee. He is past Board Chair of the Mental Health Association of Orange County and he has been a Board Advisor to the Illumination Foundation since its inception.
Howard received his BA from Dartmouth College and his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has taught New Product Development at UCI’s Merage Business School and teaches occasional courses at UCI Extension’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. He serves on the Steering Committee and Advisory Board of UCI’s Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and acts as an Expert-in-Residence at UCI Applied Innovation. At vardious points in his life, Mr. Mirowitz teaches courses in Entrepreneurship and New Product Development.
Mr. Mirowitz is currently a partner in the Cove Fund and serves on the Fund’s Investment Committee. He is a member of the Selection Committee at EvoNexus’s Irvine startup incubator, and a member of Tech Coast Angels.