DIFFERENT FUNDS - Key Persons
Leveraging his prior work in economics and entrepreneurship communities, Jacob handled research, data collection, and data analysis for Different. Previously, Jacob was a research analyst at Dream Big Foundation and Seed Spot. He's a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Economics.
Leslie has over 30 years experience building, advising and investing in new companies, in the US and across the globe. As the Founder and CEO of Different, she led the first platform designed and built for investing in venture funds. Prior to that, she was a Partner in Sawari Ventures, LLC, a Cairo-based early stage venture capital firm investing in entrepreneurs across the Middle East/North Africa. She continues as an advisor to Flat6Labs, Sawari Ventures' dedicated startup accelerator for seed stage investments.
Leslie has served on the Board of UP Global, a network of entrepreneurs and startup community leaders, and Ubongo, a leading children's edutainment company reaching over 440M children in Africa. She is an alumna of St. John's College (Annapolis, MD/Santa Fe, NM), and serves as the Vice Chair on its Board of Visitors and Governors.
Job Titles:
- Chief Product Officer
- Community Leader
A serial entrepreneur and startup community leader, Mack led Different's product design and development as well as its fund due diligence team. He leveraged his deep expertise and networks in 50+ global startup ecosystems to help source and assess funds for Different. In addition to his work at Different, Mack cofounded Startup Angels with Leslie Jump after meeting her at an entrepreneurs summit in Rio de Janeiro. Together, they have taught investor workshops in 30+ markets around the world.
Previously, Mack cofounded SceneSquid (a SaaS marketing tool), Startup Jackpot and GetSpontaneous. As a global and corporate facilitator with Startup Weekend, Mack has run entrepreneur programs across the globe and helped pioneer the organization's corporate innovation program - working with organizations like Booz Allen Hamilton, Coca Cola and the World Bank.
In a prior life, Mack worked with the U.S. International Trade Administration and as a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service. He loves mountaineering, quality outdoor gear, and good design. He has a B.A. in Political Science / Political Economy from Carleton College.