Meet the Founder
Matt Van Eerden brings a depth of leadership experience from multiple industries and is backed by a world class team of experienced entrepreneurs and investors.
“My father, a small-business owner in the Northwest, always said that if the culture of a business is focused on serving people, the bottom line will take care of itself. His words had a profound impact on me. He imbued me with the desire to serve through leadership and his example led me down my current path. Servant leadership has been the central driving force in my life and has shaped the way I approach challenges, set my goals, and tackle life-changing decisions.”
Professional Background
Following his graduation from the Naval Academy, Matt began his professional career as an Infantry Platoon Commander with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines out of Twentynine Palms California. After five years and two tours to the Middle East, he left the Marine Corps to pursue his interest in econometrics in Dallas, TX. In Texas, Matt found his first civilian leadership role as a District Manager for Ecolab Inc. - leading a sales team primarily selling detergents and other cleaning products to hotels and restaurants.
Prior to founding Joshua Tree Partners, Matt was a strategy consultant at ZS Associates - a management consulting and professional services firm - in which he focused on helping emerging pharmaceutical companies go-to-market.
Matt received his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, his MS in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics from Southern Methodist University, and his BA in General Engineering from the United States Naval Academy.
Personal Background
Matt grew up in Ridgefield, Washington, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. Matt’s mother is a retired nurse and his father is a retired entrepreneur, having successfully acquired, grown, and exited a dental service company. His older sister is a nurse manager, who lives near Ridgefield where their parents still spend half the year.
Matt has always kept busy. From 1st through 7th grade, Matt played ice-hockey after school. On weekends he’d help his father with the significant yard work their five-acre property required. In his spare time, he enjoyed mountain biking and tinkering with gas-powered remote-control cars. In high-school Matt started rowing and, after countless 6-hour practices, he placed 3rd in youth national championships his senior year. During the summers, he attended automotive technician school because Matt loved working with his hands and learning more about cars – working with engines and other mechanical things has always been a passion for Matt. Though no one in his immediate family had served in the military, they were excited when Matt was accepted to the Naval Academy.
Following his time as a Division 1 rower in college, Matt has become an avid mountaineer – making 16 ascents in the last ten years. Last summer he attempted Mt. Jefferson in central Oregon. Though he was ultimately unsuccessful in reaching the summit due to inclement weather, he made it to within 200 feet – for a total of 26 miles and more than 7,000 feet of elevation gain (and loss) over three days. As the most difficult mountaineering ascent in Oregon, Mt. Jefferson is both incredibly challenging and incredibly beautiful - embodying what Matt loves most about climbing. He plans to summit several volcanoes in Oregon and Washington during 2024.
Shortly before starting with ZS, Matt married his wife Caroline and temporarily settled near her hometown of San Diego, where they welcomed their first daughter. Blakey is now a year and half old and running both her parents ragged! When he isn’t working or climbing, Matt loves spending time with his family and dogs Asher and Willa. For his search, the family recently moved up to the pacific northwest to be closer to Matt’s parents.
Thoughts From the Founder
As it turned out, stepping off my plane home from Iraq was far more jarring than arriving there. While only hours before I had been surrounded by a yellow sky, bombed out buildings, and a sand-covered landscape, the United States now surrounded me with vividly green grass and colorful billboards; dust no longer clung to the air. Coming home from the Middle East brought our nation’s prosperity sharply into focus. As an American, it gave me a rare vantage point.
Experiences differentiate people in this way. They lend perspective.
I am thankful for the leadership opportunities I have been given. As an Infantry Officer, I led teams of professionals to solve complex problems and overcome the extreme challenges of combat. These experiences have played a defining role in my leadership education. My decision to join the military was born from my desire to learn from great leaders and, in hindsight, not every leader I have encountered has been great. But, poor leaders have allowed me to appreciate great ones and I have learned as much or more from my Marines and our Iraqi soldier counterparts.
I learned that real leaders have a positive effect on those they lead. They have impact. Leaders trust their people – to perform in their professional roles and to do the right thing. Leaders collaborate. They know that good ideas come from the man on the ground, the man in the fight. They listen to their ideas and act on them. And most importantly, leaders take ownership. They own their mistakes and those of their team. They do not make excuses.
I’d like my next leadership opportunity to be as an entrepreneur. I’ve been a leader before and I think I’ve felt some version of what it’s like to run my own business. It’s high-impact, it’s high-responsibility, and, best of all, being a leader means you get to help people – help them overcome obstacles, help them grow, and help them live a better life through work!