Mr Jack Crawford

KANDO id: 12447

Bio

Jack is a California native whose 20-year career in local “company building” has evolved from CPA to entrepreneur to venture capitalist. As a CPA with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Jack saw a wide range of businesses and was inspired to start his own – including one of the first Internet Service Providers in Sacramento. Through the 1990’s, Jack secured his reputation as a serial entrepreneur in founding three more software companies. His efforts were recognized in 2000 when he was chosen as the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Money Hunt television show which was broadcast in 160 US markets. Since 2000, Jack has focused on venture capital as the critical component of company building for seed- and early-stage technology companies. Jack began making venture investments in 2005, with an emphasis on information technology products. By combining his front-line entrepreneurial operating experience with venture capital investments, Jack helped drive the success of some of the most promising companies in Northern California. Jack worked closely with company founders to fine-tune strategies, build management teams, recruit key members of the Board of Directors and Advisory Boards, grow revenues, raise capital, and facilitate a positive exit. Operating primarily inside California’s technology triangle (bounded by San Francisco, San Jose, and Sacramento), Jack has developed a track record of investing in early-stage companies (including the first-round investment in Soft Machines, recently acquired by Intel for $300 million). Since 2009, Jack has been running innovation programs to mentor startups and collaborate with corporate venture groups from across the U.S. Following years of co-investment and corporate portfolio management in collaboration with Dixon Doll and Eric Ball, Jack joined forces with the two Silicon Valley investors to launch Impact Venture Capital in 2016. Jack has long-standing relationships with local universities, angel investors, entrepreneurs, and professional service organizations. He is an active member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and has been an adjunct professor on venture capital for MBA programs at universities in Northern California. In 2011, Jack was accepted as a Kauffman Fellow–a prestigious leadership program that identifies, develops, and networks emerging global leaders in venture capital. Jack is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s “Private Equity & Venture Capital” executive program and a graduate of the Venture Capital Institute. Jack earned a B.S. degree in Accounting from Arizona State University and is a Certified Public Accountant in California.

Education