Jason Towns
venture investor and startup advisor in Oakland, California
Jason Towns leads Groundwork Ventures, a D.C.- and Bay area based startup accelerator and venture fund focused on supporting emergent market entrepreneurs. Jason brings more than 15 years of experience in roles including tech founder, angel investor, diversity advocate, and startup advisor. His deep experience building inclusive local startup ecosystems has led to Jason launching national initiatives such as CODE2040's Entrepreneur in Residence Program, a Google backed startup acceleration program providing seed funding and support for founders from Black and Latinx communities.
Former co-founder of Broadband.com (acquired), Jason also advises local and national political leaders, tech inclusion organizations and tech hubs on access to capital & building inclusive tech ecosystems. Jason sits on a number of advisory boards, including the African Economic Expansion Network (AEEN), the Congressional Research Institute of Social Work and Policy (CRISP). & The Releaf Group. Recent work honors include The Root's 2016 list of the 100 most influential African Americans, The Digital Diversity Network's 2016 Change Agent Award & DC Inno's "50 on Fire" Finalist.