Derek Groothuis is a technologist, investor, and venture strategist with more than twenty-five years of experience across software engineering, capital markets, and financial technology. He is Managing Director of Prota Ventures, where he has advised founders and investors for over a decade, and operates Very Fine Hat Consulting, his own practice focused on technology, venture, and strategy consulting.

His career includes senior leadership roles at DRW Trading Group, Bank of America, and Citadel Investment Group, with expertise spanning software architecture, engineering leadership, and trading technology. He also served as Managing Director, Markets at Coinbase and most recently as Aquanaut/CTO at Aquatic Capital Management.

Derek is a longtime contributor to Chicago's tech and startup community. He currently serves on several nonprofit boards, including as a Board Member of UI Charitable.

Derek is a graduate of Northwestern University.