Bernard Goldstein

In addition to Civic Hall, the Goldstein Family endowed the University of Pennsylvania’s Goldstein Electronic Classroom, The Mark and Bernard Goldstein Undergraduate Study Center, and Mark’s Cafe in the library center.

Investing in knowledge, community and the future

Bernard Goldstein was a 4th-generation New Yorker, philanthropist, and pioneering force in the computer industry. His superpower was connection, spotting talent, building teams, and merging companies to create something greater than the sum of their parts. Bernie believed in the power of technology to drive positive change. He was a listener, consigliere, beloved partner, and trusted advisor to many. Today, Bernie’s legacy lives on at Civic Hall, a space dedicated to collaboration and opportunity. His work demonstrated the Power of the Possible. Bernie Goldstein passed peacefully in Rye, New York, in March 2023.

“Bernie was a phenomenal strategist... He never tried to take advantage—he always wanted a fair deal for both sides.” — Sterling Williams, at Bernie’s 70th birthday party (2000)

Driving growth coast to coast

Bernie as Senior VP and Director of Tymeshare and his AI Eisenstat. Bernie led acquisitions from the East Coast, while AI focused on the West.

Building a legacy beyond business

“Little did [we] know the role [a computer] would play… in the vast redeployment of capital and information throughout the world. My wife, Patricia, and I are pleased to play a small part in making all of this more accessible to today’s students and tomorrow’s.”— Bernard Goldstein

Bernard Goldstein

“I started my company for $5,000 with two friends in 1956. It wasn’t even an industry yet but simply an idea. We moved into my mother’s apartment. She fed us and we went down to our little office and took whatever business we could get.”

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1946

1958

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1974

1977

1981

1991

1930

An Entrepreneurial Spirit

Long before tech was trendy, Bernard Goldstein had an intuitive sense for structure and business models in an industry that did not yet exist. A fourth-generation New Yorker, Bernie grew up surrounded by the city’s energy and ambition. His father, a real estate developer in the Upper West Side, was his model for dedication and determination that drove his future success.

Bernie attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate studies and earned his MBA at Columbia University.

1946

A Front Row Seat at Computing’s Birth

ENIAC – the world's first electronic digital computer – had debuted only three years before Bernie attended the University of Pennsylvania, right there in the same halls. Early computers were huge, expensive and only served the military and scientists. The first computer scientists believed the world would need no more than a handful of computers to serve the world's engineering needs. To most people, computers were locked doors – Bernie saw a way to open them.

1958

The Rise of Computech and Bernie’s Big Idea

After returning from the Navy, Bernie and two engineer friends launched Computech in 1956 with $5K and access to IBM’s 650, before computing was an industry. They set up in his mother’s apartment and later in Tin Pan Alley, where they built a system to streamline music royalty distribution. Bernie pioneered a model of renting computing time and building custom solutions – an early blueprint for the service-driven software industry.

1960

Rock and Roll on Trial

Bernie and Computech played a key role in the congressional payola hearings, analyzing radio data to trace rock and roll’s influence. Bernie testified before Congress, using computer-generated statistics to help prove that Dick Clark had not received illegal payments for playing certain records. He arrived with 300 lbs of data, charts, and analysis – offering one of the earliest examples of using big data to shape public policy.

1965

Software Becomes the Future

Bernie sold Computech to Control Data Corp., betting software would outpace hardware. As ADAPSO president, he transformed it into a leading software and services association, building alliances with IBM and vendors to help the industry thrive. Known for pragmatic leadership, he expanded CDC’s services, drove industry standards, and mentored peers. Touring the country, he also saw an opportunity to build a network of regional data centers.

1967

Building a Data Empire

Bernie founded United Data Centers, acquiring small firms in overlooked cities to add local insight and national reach. By linking these centers, he brought vertical software and scale to a fragmented industry. UDC grew into an $18M business built on trust and sharp strategy. As batch processing began to fade in the early ’70s, Bernie helped position UDC for the future, embracing the emerging timesharing model.

1974

Strategic Growth and Industry Legitimization

By the early 70s, the computer industry was shifting, and Bernie saw that timesharing – allowing multiple users to access a system remotely – would transform the field. He adapted quickly, negotiating key moves to embrace the new model. In 1974, Bernie became Senior VP and Director of Tymeshare, leading acquisitions from the East Coast while his partner Al Eisenstat focused on the West, helping drive the company’s national growth.

1977

Reshaping Tech’s Future, One Deal at a Time

Bernie joined National CSS as minicomputers disrupted timesharing, helping lead its acquisition by Dun & Bradstreet and repositioning it as an innovation hub. Sensing the growing role of tech M&A, Bernie founded Broadview Associates with Gil Mertz, pioneering a new model for tech-focused mergers and acquisitions. His work helped companies adapt to rapid industry change and reshaped how innovation and talent were acquired.

1981

Visionary Strategist and Trusted Partner

By 1981, Bernie had become a trusted dealmaker and strategist, known for balancing buyer and seller interests to drive lasting value. At Broadview, he shaped the emerging tech M&A market and mentored a generation of entrepreneurs. With Harvey Poppel, he co-authored Information Technology: The Trillion-Dollar Opportunity, predicting the rise of the global digital economy and solidifying his influence on the future of the tech industry.

1991

How Bernie Helped Apple Bet Big

Bernie joined Apple’s board in 1990, during a pivotal moment for the company. His strategic insight and deep understanding of tech M&A helped guide Apple as it explored a major partnership with IBM. Bernie’s influence extended beyond the boardroom – his earlier work on Information Technology: The Trillion-Dollar Opportunity continued shaping industry thinking, predicting the rise of a global digital economy.

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