Distinguished alumni are individuals who attended Moravian Academy (or Moravian Preparatory or Moravian Seminary for Girls) and are more than fifteen years removed from their graduation. They have contributed significant resources to Moravian Academy, thereby positively and significantly impacting past and current students, teachers, and programs and/or have been identified as leaders in their profession and have made significant contributions to their communities. Distinguished Alumni are selected by the Alumni Association Executive Board. 

 

The Moravian Academy Alumni Association is proud to recognize Jeffrey Risberg ’75 as a Distinguished Alumnus, honoring his exceptional career in technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Jeff is a seasoned engineer, entrepreneur, and pioneer in artificial intelligence, with a career spanning more than four decades. He has held leadership roles in some of the tech industry’s most innovative companies, including as co-founder of TIBCO Software in the late 1980s. During his 13-year tenure there, he served as Director of Applications and Senior Product Developer. TIBCO created software solutions that power global financial markets, and Jeff was instrumental in developing MarketSheet, a real-time financial portal widely used by leading trading firms like Salomon Brothers and Merrill Lynch.

Following his time at TIBCO, Jeff completed the prestigious Sloan Fellows Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2002. He also played a key role in the company’s sale for over $4 billion. Since then, he has served as an angel investor and technology advisor to numerous startups, with his influence spanning diverse sectors including finance, manufacturing, healthcare, philanthropy, and sustainability. Today, he is a Principal Software Architect at Aisera, a rapidly growing AI company.

Through his ongoing contributions to cutting-edge technology and his dedication to mentoring and building the next generation of innovators, Jeff exemplifies the values of leadership, curiosity, and impact that Moravian Academy proudly upholds.

Jeff is deeply committed to advancing innovation and mentoring future leaders. He recently gave an invited talk at Silicon Valley’s Computer History Museum, titled “Computers and Creativity”, where he shared how he combined painting and technology to create digital art in 1971—well before the digital art movement took off. His talk encouraged young innovators to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

In addition to his entrepreneurial accomplishments, Jeff also contributed in more traditional roles. Early in his career, he supported his father’s work as an actuary in the insurance industry and spent five years working with the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Force, where he developed advanced computer technologies in the late 1970s.

Reflecting on his time at Moravian Academy, Jeff expressed appreciation for the school’s environment, which fostered close relationships with teachers and a curriculum that encouraged exploration and success. He credits former Head of School Mr. Devey with cultivating a culture that exposed students to a broad range of subjects and helped form lifelong friendships.

Jeff stated “The most influential event in my education would have to be in Music class, where of course I was a terrible student. But our music teacher Mr. Berryman understood the relationship between math, science, and music, and helped me greatly. One day he pointed out to me that there was a then-new technology of musical instruments called a “synthesizer” featured in a music piece our class listened to. He later loaned me a whole record about such instruments. 

That single gesture had a lasting impact. Nine years later I had completed a minor in music at Yale, and was part of the recording team with musicians such as Stevie Wonder and Chick Corea, and equipment I had created was producing some of the sounds for Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller”. It would have never happened without Mr. Berryman’s encouragement and insight.”

We are honored to celebrate Jeffrey Risberg as a Distinguished Alumnus of the Class of 1975.