Velda Jones-Potter

Bio

Velda Jones-Potter is a Partner at Artists & Instigators. She most recently served as Treasurer for the State of Delaware, and previously held executive positions with DuPont and MBNA (now Bank of America). As Treasurer, Velda steered the State through its worst fiscal crisis since the great depression and is lauded for innovative public/private partnerships and nationally recognized financial education and empowerment initiatives launched during her administration. Prior to serving as Delaware’s CFO, Velda owned a small financial services and consulting company and was a Managing Partner with GS Capital. Formerly part of the Safeguard Scientifics Group of venture funds, GS Capital was a social impact fund whose mission included investing in women and minority lead companies and increasing access to capital for underrepresented groups. Experiences as a corporate executive, entrepreneur and public servant have given Velda a unique perspective on the need to inspire entrepreneurship throughout the nation. She believes strongly that our next innovations will come not from the garages of America, but from the dorm rooms of young learners who are given access to technology and whose creativity is unleashed. She is committed to developing this next generation entrepreneurs through education and real world entrepreneurial experience. Velda’s philanthropy and community service also reflect her passion for education and empowering others. She is a founding board member of the Eastside Charter School of Wilmington which educates children in grades K-6. She helped establish and expand the Forum to Advance Minorities in Engineering (FAME), a pre college math & science enrichment program which, since its inception, has nurtured more than 1,500 new engineers, scientists and business professionals. Breaking barriers and creating access for others to non-traditional areas of leaning and opportunity is a hallmark of Velda’s career. When appointed Treasurer, in January 2009, Velda became the first African American ever to hold statewide elective office in Delaware history. Velda is a Member Emeritus of the National Association of State Treasurers and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute. Velda earned a bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Delaware and holds an MBA from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.