Kelli N. Jones
“Successful products spring from a passion to improve people’s lives.” - Kelli N. Jones
This week, we are highlighting an influencer who is #BuildingBuzz by creating businesses that solve social issues. A powerful force in the venture capital market, Kelli N. Jones uses her clear communication skills to help find and fill the needs of her community.
Kelli is co-founder and general partner for Sixty8 Capital, a seed stage fund for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. For the last five years, Kelli has led the transformation of a more diverse tech ecosystem in Indiana through her organization Be Nimble. Since starting Be Nimble, she has trained over 40 Black and Latinx founders through her accelerator and has invested nearly $1 million in capital and startup resources. In addition to providing entrepreneurship support that upskills talent, Be Nimble launched a partnership with Bank of America, Microsoft, and Google to train 250 Black and Latinx people into new tech careers. Before launching Sixty8 Capital, Kelli was program manager for Techstars Heritage Group Accelerator and director of people, culture, and brand for Givelify. Before relocating to Indianapolis in 2017, she lived in New York and Los Angeles, founding an experiential marketing company specializing in startup go-to-market strategy and later leading sales, events, and marketing for digital media brands like HipHopDX and Blavity.
Though she doesn’t self-title as an influencer, Kelli’s impact is undeniable. Recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal as a Woman of Influence in 2021 and as one of Indiana’s 250 most influential business leaders in 2022, Kelli reflected on what led her to pursue a career in venture capital. The experience she gained by taking risks and building companies in New York and Los Angeles guided her away from settling into a career that specifically focused on marketing, PR or events. Instead, she was drawn to create an Indiana-based venture capital firm dedicated to investing in Black, Brown, female, LGBTQ+ and disabled founders. “I chose this for many of the reasons why we become entrepreneurs: there is a problem to be solved (access to capital for Black businesses), there is something missing in the market (lack of info and resources to build scalable businesses and access to multiple forms of different types of capital), and there is an insatiable need (for all of the above).” Painfully cognizant of the lack of access to venture capital across the country, Kelli plans to expand nationwide.
Kelli’s companies reflect her dedication to open access and opportunity. In her experience, the key to true influence is freely sharing information. “No gatekeeping,” she emphasized. Influence is not gained from telling people what to do; instead, making an impact results from helping others feel comfortable and included so that they are open to listening. Kelli also warned against the toxicity that comes from assuming there are not enough good opportunities to go around. “Don’t let a scarcity mindset take hold of you. There is more than enough for everyone if you treat it right.”
Keep up with Kelli on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. To learn more about her work with Be Nimble, visit their website, LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. Connect with Sixty8 Capital via their website or Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
