Running a venture capital fund requires a lot more than just meeting entrepreneurs and making investments. As one of my favorite LPs is quick to remind me, "any a**hole can write a check."
The real work happens behind the scenes. Thousands of pitches need to be screened. CRM needs to be updated. Portfolio companies need support; from recruiting to service provider sourcing, from investor discovery to sales lead sourcing. Networks and relationships need to be nurtured. LPs need to be engaged. Advisors need to be connected in to founders. The fund itself as a set of entities needs to be administered, budgets and expenses managed, compliance and security minded. Its service providers need oversight. The website needs to stay fresh. Blog posts need creating. Community engagement and events require planning. Meetings need to be coordinated.
If you've ever worked with me, you know very few of the items on the list above are in my "sweet spot." But as they're integral to the success of our funds and founders, they need proper attention and investment. Just like a solo startup founder who has discovered product/market fit, I need to start building a world class team to support our growth at Ascend.
That's why I am so stoked to share that we've made Jen Haller our first hire at Ascend. Yes, it's truly "we" now!
Jen is an absolute dynamo. Her title will be Chief of Staff but in reality she'll do a bit of everything. She's been a classic utility infielder at a few of Seattle's most successful startups of the 2010s (Urbanspoon, Axon); she was part of the Paul Allen/Vulcan family via Stratolaunch; and most recently she helped Ascend portfolio standout Attunely scale through their Series A.
Jen is an awesome human. Aside from her selfless and well documented courage as the first recipient of Moderna's trial COVID vaccine, she's a foster parent for special needs dogs and has a long history of civic involvement from volunteering for social justice causes to political organizing. She is also a supermom to two teens, and in her spare time, enjoys trying to relax.
If you haven't met her yet, I cannot wait for you to meet Jen. She's just the person we need to help Ascend begin its next phase of growth!
