How to Get Into Venture Capital and Discover the Best Tech Trends with Kelli Jones

Airbnb, Lyft, Redbull, and Monster all have something in common: Kelli Jones has helped them all with experiential marketing. Experiential marketing and brand activations were just emerging in 2010 when Kelli started working in this space. Until then, sponsorship often meant simply displaying logos on banners. On today’s show, we dive into spotting trends and identifying opportunities that can catapult your company and career to new heights. Kelli Jones is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Sixty8 Capital, the first Indiana-based Venture Capital firm dedicated to investing in undercapitalized founders, including Black, Latinx, Women, LGBTQ+, and disabled founders. She is also the Founder and CEO of Be Nimble Foundation, a social enterprise aimed at advancing diversity initiatives to create fully inclusive tech ecosystems.

In our conversation with Kelli, you’ll hear how she and her team are using capital, connections, and community to support scalable and investable tech and tech-enabled companies led by undercapitalized founders. We discuss how physical location affects business strategy, Kelli’s first entrepreneurial endeavor, and the characteristics that make a great show or creator. Kelli offers advice for leaders on being more nimble at work and explains why programs for underrepresented and undercapitalized groups are essential. She also shares her five-year outlook on the tech industry and the evolving inclusivity, as well as her experience with raising a fund and writing her first check. This episode is packed with insights on leveraging experiential marketing, spotting key business trends, and supporting diverse founders.