JumpStart is a venture investing and entrepreneurial/innovation development organization whose mission is to unlock the full potential of entrepreneurship and our vision is to collaborate with partners to generate returns and dramatically improved and inclusive economic outcomes by investing in high potential technology startups, supporting diverse entrepreneurs, optimizing entrepreneurial ecosystems, and accelerating innovation.
Key to JumpStart’s success is its ability to leverage the skills, experience, and creativity of its inspired team to transform entrepreneurial aspirations into actions with measurable impact. JumpStart leaders and teammates take great pride in JumpStart being a highly demanding yet incredibly fun place to work.
Position Overview
JumpStart takes an inclusive approach to supporting and collaborating with research institution and corporate partners to drive commercialization of high potential technologies. The primary responsibility of the Venture Partner, CV&I is to provide leadership and domain specific expertise for project-based work that seeks to identify technology use cases, assess market landscape for these technologies, validate product-market fit, and build commercialization roadmaps. The Venture Partner, CV&I leads day to day efforts to build and maintain relationships with corporate, academic and research institution partners with the goal of expanding the depth and breadth of support/services we provide to ultimately function as an extension of the partner’s internal innovation team. This role involves managing and developing a team of Venture Interns, Venture Analysts/Associates, SMEs, contractors, etc. to ensure delivery of high quality, impactful projects, that support our overall CV&I strategy.
Utilizing a consultative sales model, the near-term goal is to develop a regular cadence of project-based engagements with regional innovation partners (i.e., successful project delivery leading to additional projects). Long-term, the goal is to build partnerships tied to committed pools of capital to invest in the growth of promising early stage technologies/ companies so that CV&I becomes an integral part of the partner’s innovation strategy.
JumpStart’s CV&I services have a strong concentration in healthcare. Therefore, success in the Venture Partner CV&I role requires healthcare industry domain expertise with respect to business models, hospital operations, regulatory pathways/implications, and commercialization strategies. This expertise will be leveraged to bring insight and credibility when working with and delivering support/services to JumpStart’s partners as well as in assessing the long-term potential of technologies that may be spun out of, be attracted to (i.e., pilot engagements) and or receive investment from our partners. As JumpStart’s CV&I work is largely tied to early-stage technologies/businesses, the candidate must have a successful track record working with high-potential technology startups that fit the venture capital funding model. This role will also engage with the broader Services & Investing team, strategic partners and venture investors to support high potential tech companies that may be in the JumpStart investing portfolio.
Essential Job Functions
60% – Lead JumpStart’s CV&I service delivery initiatives to budget, propose and execution of projects designed to assess the commercial potential of new technologies that are either emerging from within institutions and/or being sourced externally to solve market pain points.
Lead and develop a highly productive team of Venture Interns, Venture Analysts, and Venture Associates focused on providing analysis and assessment services and support to JumpStart’s research institution and corporate partners.
Establish, expand, and manage JumpStart’s CV&I service delivery relationships with both research institution and corporate partners in healthcare and other industry segments. Become a “trusted partner” to organizations that JumpStart works with.
Lead the efforts of the team to scope, develop and propose (i.e., sell) CV&I projects. These can range from topline Venture Snapshots, more comprehensive Venture Validation assessments, tactical Commercialization Roadmaps, pilot engagement Readiness Assessments, etc.
Lead the team to execute projects and ensure timely delivery of high quality work product. Leverage successful delivery to demonstrate value and facilitate follow-up projects.
Provide in-depth healthcare expertise to the CV&I team relating to critical issues including defining clinical need, establishing value propositions, navigating the regulatory and economic factors of healthcare, considering operational and workflow impact.
Work with JumpStart CV&I leadership to evolve and enhance the partner’s understanding and commitment to CV&I strategy, thereby leading to a greater scope, depth and breadth of engagement and financial commitment on the part of research institutions and corporations.
Ensure timely reporting of metrics and information, independently and in conjunction with other members of the JumpStart Team, recognizing that metrics are critical in demonstrating success and program validation to current and potential customers).
Participate in strategic planning discussions with other members of senior management to help shape a successful transition/evolution of the JumpStart business model both in and out of region.
Participate as advocate and thought leader in various presentation forums and JumpStart outreach speaking engagements as well as press related activities.
30% – Provide direct support to the JumpStart Investment team to drive high quality deal flow compete due diligence and support portfolio startups to help them accomplish their goals/milestones, realize growth, and generate returns.
Participate as a member of the broader Investing Team to help assess high quality investable deal flow and screen candidate startups/technologies for fit with the JumpStart investment thesis. Contribute to expediting deals through the JumpStart assessment process by making informed, accurate assessments of entrepreneurial companies.
Contribute to investment due diligence efforts and work with the investment candidates to generate budgets/milestones, provide thoughtful insights concerning the company’s team, technology and plan, and contribute to investment memorandums that will inform investment decisions.
Draw on personal experience and industry knowledge to deliver consistent, value added guidance and resources that will help JumpStart portfolio companies achieve value-creating milestones, drive rapid growth, generate returns, and realize their economic impact potential.
Where appropriate, serve as the formal Board representative (or observer as per JumpStart investor rights) to represent the interest of shareholders by providing governance support. Work with entrepreneurs and JumpStart Services & Investment team to ensure financial governance is in place and Board meetings are effectively managed.
10% – Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Be intentional about engaging with female and/or minority led businesses as part of the tech-based based initiative above to help cultivate deal flow opportunities.
Contribute meaningfully to JumpStart diversity, equity and inclusion programs/activities (e.g., mentor to intern program fellows; advise entrepreneurs in the 12-week JumpStart Impact Program; assist with inclusive hiring and/or supplier diversity practices)
Participate in various outreach and advisory programs designed to engage with female and/or minority entrepreneurs and build awareness of JumpStart’s broad range of service offerings.
Decision Making Responsibility
This position requires a high degree of autonomy, business experience and strategic decision making. The Partner will be assessing complex situations, involving multiple interconnected parameters, managing complex technology projects, and recommending services and investment related decisions based upon analysis and judgment.
Required Qualifications
Willingness to live and work in Greater Cleveland.
Education, Training and/or Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM/Healthcare/Technology/Entrepreneurial/Business-related discipline
10 – 15 years of progressive management experience in healthcare, innovation, tech startup, dynamic, and/or growth companies/organizations
Direct experience/leadership of CV&I related activities for a healthcare system and/or corporation.
Leadership/founder experience in a HealthTech/IT/Software company and/or in scaling HealthTech/IT/Software company environments.
Experience as an advisor and/or board member for early-stage companies
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
Ability to see the larger strategic picture, absorb large amounts of data, draw out key findings and insights and synthesize thoughts in easy to follow, logical and coherent manner
Ability to relate to all organizational levels and establish credibility with entrepreneurs
Appreciation of all aspects and functions of a business
Ability to build and operate in team-based environments
Combination of strategic thinker and practical operational execution
Empathy and people leadership skills
Preferred Qualifications
Education, Training and/or Experience
Master’s Degree in Business related discipline
Successful track record in raising Seed and Series A venture capital and/or leadership role in a startup tech company to a successful wealth-creating exit
Prior experience in building and/or participating in for-profit Boards of Directors
Direct Reports
Role will have direct reports
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
Normal office demands. Travel up to 25%
JumpStart’s Core Values and Key Cultural Behaviors
Accountability: Act to deliver on commitments and generate results, and if expectations aren’t clear, ask
Entrepreneurial: Embrace opportunity, continuous improvement, and change, and contribute to the solution as we evolve
Equity: Committed to corrective action regarding historically underserved and underrepresented populations through entrepreneurship and innovation
Energy: Address our work with focus, grit and enthusiasm
Collaboration: Collaborate with others to play our most helpful role(s) and to increase effectiveness
Humility: Balance self-assurance with listening to understand, having an open mind, and demonstrating patience
JumpStart’s Definitions for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
Diversity: A measure of psychological, demographic, physical, and social differences occurring among any and all individuals in a specific group; including but not limited to racial identity, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender identification, sexual orientation, culture, developmental ability, and learning styles.
Inclusion: The act of promoting and maintaining an environment in which diverse groups of individuals are welcomed, respected, supported, valued, and empowered. An environment prioritizing differences and offers respect and acceptance in the words/actions/thoughts of all people.
Equity: An acknowledgment and understanding there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations, and corrective action regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to eliminate barriers and guarantee equality in the provision of fair treatment, access opportunity, and advancement in the provision of effective opportunities to all groups.
Emphasis Statement: Historically, African Americans, Latinx people, and women have been economically disenfranchised and disconnected from innovation and entrepreneurship. For these reasons, we place an emphasis on these populations as we work to diversify our culture and be inclusive in our daily interactions and decisions.
JumpStart’s Operating Style: JumpStart team members are expected to be:
Honest: We speak the truth, plainly and simply, kindly and considerately. We will challenge you as we seek to accomplish great things. And we hope you will do the same with us.
Responsive: We respond rapidly to your inquiries and actively communicate so we are all on the same page.
Resourceful: We will be creative and efficient in helping you to access relationships, contacts and other resources to help you succeed.
Insightful: We will provide the knowledge and insight about entrepreneurship and innovation you aren’t able to easily get from others.
This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of JumpStart. Since no position description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder’s responsibility.
If interested, please apply here.
