Dave holds two Cornell degrees: Engineering Class of 1962, with a major in electrical engineering, and Johnson Graduate School of Management Class of 1964. He is a visionary engineer, serial entrepreneur, and generous philanthropist.
Dave has founded six business software companies in his 60-year career. He is one of only two individuals in U.S. history to lead two companies they’ve founded to an IPO at a billion dollar or greater valuation.
Dave’s fourth company, PeopleSoft, was his first to go public. Founded in 1987, PeopleSoft grew to become a world leader in client-server finance and human resource applications.
When PeopleSoft was acquired in 2005, he co-founded yet another global public software company, Workday, which provides cloud-based human resource, financial, student, and analytics applications to the world’s largest companies, educational institutions, and government organizations.
In 2017, Dave founded his sixth company, Ridgeline, to provide a modern technology platform for the investment management industry. Based in Reno, Nevada, the company is expanding quickly with more than 500 employees, offices across the country, and a growing list of satisfied customers.
Beyond his impact on industry, Dave and his wife Cheryl are committed to improving lives and livelihoods through philanthropy. Their giving to Cornell extends to the College of Veterinary Medicine, where they have funded and named the Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program and the Duffield Institute for Animal Behavior, which provide essential training in the techniques veterinarians can use to keep companion animals healthy and adoptable.
In addition to providing generous support for Cornell, the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation also carries forward the Duffields’ legacy of supporting transformational programs and services in three areas: pairing Veterans with Service Dogs, expanding access to care for companion animals, and strengthening local public service organizations. The Duffields’ family of foundations also includes Maddie’s® Fund – a national leader in pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S. – and Liberty Dogs, a new Service Dog training facility dedicated to providing life-changing support for Military Veterans living with PTSD.
Related News
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![David A. Duffield ’62, MBA ’64 is making the largest gift in Cornell history.]()
Largest gift in university history names Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering
More than $520 million in contributions from David A. Duffield ’62, MBA ’64 – including a new pledge of $371.5 million and a 2025 commitment of $100 million, combined with previous gifts – will establish the Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering.
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![Rendering of an expanded Duffield Hall, set to transform the corner of Hoy and Campus roads by adding over 130,000 square feet of new and renovated space for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Construction begins in 2025, with completion expected in 2027.]()
Historic $100 million investment to expand Engineering’s Duffield Hall
The commitment, the largest in Cornell Engineering’s history, from David A. Duffield ’62, MBA ’64, will significantly expand the college’s existing Duffield Hall, creating a new state-of-the-art home for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
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$5M gift launches Duffield Family Cornell Promise Scholarship
A $5 million gift from David A. Duffield ’62, MBA ’64, has established the Duffield Family Cornell Promise Scholarship, providing financial assistance to undergraduate engineering students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
