JumpStart

For 20 years, JumpStart Ventures has been investing venture capital to help visionary entrepreneurs grow innovative tech companies that drive economic impact in Ohio and the Midwest. The returns we’ve generated – 3X to date – and support from our partners have enabled us to extend our model beyond tech investing to help entrepreneurs and small businesses in Ohio go further, faster through our parent company, JumpStart Inc. The JumpStart Ventures team delivers a founder-first experience to our portfolio companies, backed by decades of combined VC know-how. Our approach helps startups avoid blind spots and scale with confidence. We’re a diverse and collaborative team from varied backgrounds. Humble, honest and driven, we believe that entrepreneurs can build market-defining companies anywhere with the right partners and a relentless work ethic. The Evolution Of JumpStart Founded in 2004, JumpStart focuses today on transforming communities through: Venture Capital Investment Small Business Services Inclusive Economic Growth for Black, Latino/Hispanic and Women entrepreneurs

McKenzie Shanahan is more than just a company; we are a purpose-driven organization deeply committed to the revitalization of communities and the unlocking of potential in regions frequently overlooked by mainstream investment channels. We understand that true growth and innovation often come from areas that have been neglected or underfunded, and it is our mission to bridge this gap by providing essential capital where it is most needed. Our organization was founded on the belief that every community, no matter how small or underserved, has the inherent potential to thrive when given the right resources and support. At McKenzie Shanahan, we view our role not merely as financiers but as partners in progress. We work closely with local businesses, governments, and stakeholders to identify opportunities for development that can transform entire regions. By targeting these overlooked areas, we not only aim to stimulate economic growth but also to inspire a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that can sustain long-term prosperity. Our approach to investment is holistic. We recognize that capital alone is not enough to drive meaningful change; it must be paired with strategic guidance, collaborative partnerships, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within each community. We are committed to crafting tailored solutions that address these challenges, ensuring that our investments lead to sustainable development and real, lasting impact. At McKenzie Shanahan, we believe that the success of our investments is measured not just by financial returns, but by the positive changes we help to bring about in the communities we serve. Our investments are designed to create a ripple effect - stimulating local economies, creating jobs, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. We strive to foster environments where businesses can grow, where innovation is encouraged, and where communities can thrive for generations to come. In an industry often focused solely on profit, McKenzie Shanahan stands out by placing equal importance on the social and economic well-being of the communities in which we invest. We are proud to be a driving force for change, helping to turn potential into progress, and vision into reality. Our commitment to these underserved areas is unwavering, and we are determined to continue making a significant difference, one community at a time. We are dedicated to identifying and nurturing the leaders of tomorrow by strategically investing in their potential today. Our focus is on discovering visionary entrepreneurs and innovative companies poised for significant growth and providing the capital, resources, and support they need to succeed in a competitive global market.

Lancé fin 2021 par PULSE, l’association de soutien à l’entrepreneuriat à impact du GROUPE SOS, Impact Business Angels est le premier réseau de business angels exclusivement dédié au soutien de l’entrepreneuriat à impact en France. En lien avec l’écosystème de l’impact, les membres d’Impact Business Angels soutiennent des projets entrepreneuriaux et accompagnent notamment des projets nativement à impact en phase d’amorçage qui déploient des innovations sociales afin de générer un impact positif, qu’il soit social, sociétal, environnemental et/ou territorial. Impact Business Angels est membre de France Angels, la Fédération Nationale des business angels.

Our starting point is people, putting them at the forefront and making innovation truly work for their benefit. We harness the social power of technology to reach even those who are most marginalized. We ensure that the innovation we build for one market is globally ready as a high-growth venture. We designed our innovation stack to be 70% reusable and replicable elsewhere and in many other applications to leverage standardized methods, common IPs or expertise.

We envision an inclusive economy that thrives with innovation by realizing the value and potential of each of us. Our Mission: Building the Future Together We aim to transform people, companies, and industries in order to build a more equitable and inclusive economy. We work with today’s leaders to create long term growth by integrating diverse perspectives and dismantling personal, organizational and systemic barriers to inclusion. We are creating a new class of companies by investing in the next generation of inclusive ventures We believe that an inclusive economy thrives with innovation by realizing the value and potential of each of us. We build an inclusive economy alongside companies and people like you. We believe in the possibility of a brighter future. Let’s Build The Future Together We pledge to build a brighter future. We envision an equitable, entrepreneurial future, and we come alongside diverse leaders to build that future together.

We bridge the financial and cultural divides that have kept low- and moderate-income people of color on the sidelines of the modern economy. We make early-stage investments in tech-driven businesses that create new frameworks of ownership and opportunity within marginalized communities. We also help our founders get traction with institutional investors, who often don’t have the expertise or lived experience in these communities to appreciate the huge opportunities at hand. We know that investing in social impact does not require sacrificing on financial returns. WHY WE DO THIS WORK “IAF came out of a lifetime of straddling two worlds: the world of Section 8 housing, working-class parents, and public assistance where I grew up, and the world of Wall Street and big business that I came to inhabit. It’s about advancing opportunity for black and brown people through foundational change. It’s about building an economy, a world, where people of color are no longer outsiders - where they truly belong.” - Kesha Cash, Founder & General Partner This is morally imperative. Decades of structural racism and oppression have created a major wealth gap for communities of color - and that gap is growing. We are capable of creating a more just and equitable future for these communities, and so that is what we must do. This is smart investing. Traditional investors chronically undervalue or overlook business opportunities in low- and moderate-income communities. This is about all of us. Economic disenfranchisement impacts everyone, not just those of us at the margins. To thrive as a whole society, we must make real economic participation and agency possible for all people of color - entrepreneurs, consumers, workers, everyone. This is personal. Everyone on our team is a person of color, a woman, or both, and many of us come from the kinds of communities our portfolio companies serve. We know what we are capable of, and we live by this truth: “best-in-class” can’t exist without the whole class present. OUR APPROACH “We want to see institutional changes in how products and services are designed, who designs them, and who they are designed for. If we're building companies and products and solutions that affect a community, that community must be drawn into the decision-making process. Is this an unusual or radical proposition? I don't think so.” - Kaiton Williams, Investor & Cultural Technologist speaking before an audience of global corporate directors We invest primarily from Seed to Series B. We focus on companies that are growing quickly, with demonstrated traction in a $1B+ market, and make investments in the range of $250K to $3M. We also provide bridge funding between rounds when we believe that an influx of capital will help a company weather a storm, make key hires, or negotiate better terms. The inherent impact standard. We look for business models whose potential for success is directly linked to their potential for impact at scale. This means that the forces that drive business success must also contribute to increased ownership, opportunity, or other forms of empowerment. We call this connection "inherent impact," and it’s the standard for the depth and durability of the impact we want to have. Lived experience as a competitive advantage. Our entrepreneurs have direct knowledge of the communities, systems, and problems we want to address. This is not an emotional preference on our part. We've learned that founders with lived experience, rather than an outsider's assumptions, have a deeper sense of urgency and are best-equipped to design products with scale and staying power. Technological innovation with thoughtful constraints. Venture-backed startups often achieve their "hockey stick growth" at the expense of the companies themselves and to the communities they intend to serve. We want ethical, inclusive, and sustainable outcomes, so we look for products and services that are built and scaled with careful constraints and dedication to their workers and customers.