Catherine Jackson

Experience

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  Summit Partners

  Sept 1999 - May 2002

  Associate

  Sourced 3 deals in 28 months for top tier venture capital firm with $2.1 billion fund• Produced network of 2,400 CEOs from scratch, resulting in Summit’s equity investment of $32M in 3 tech deals• Generated 247 company visits, the submission of 14 Letters of Intent (LOIs), 5 signed LOIs, and 3 closed deals• Participated in each component of deal process (negotiating LOIs to financial/technical due diligence)

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  American Securities Capital Partners

  Sept 2002 - May 2005

  Director of Investment Development

  Built and executed proactive, proprietary deal sourcing system for $1 billion private equity fund• Successfully persuaded uninterested entrepreneurs of benefits of raising equity, and of ASCP’s value• Proactively generated 140 qualified investment opportunities (profitable, industry-leading privately-held businesses which averaged $300 million in revenue) by cold calling CEOs and arranging deal discussions• Convinced top Fortune 100 executives to consider partnering with ASCP in spinning out subsidiaries• Created proprietary sourcing network consisting of investment bankers, industry specialists, angel investors, lawyers, public company CEOs, consultants, and marketing professionals Show less

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  Prison Entrepreneurship Program

  May 2004 - Dec 2009

  Founder

  Founded and led Texas statewide nonprofit entrepreneurship and career training program for incarcerated men• Launched at age 27 with personal funds; grew privately-funded budget from $230,000 (2005) to $2.5M (2009)• Graduated 600 men, and served thousands of their family members and children through a Family Reunification Program• Achieved a return-to-prison rate of less than 5% and an employment rate of 98% • Provided meaningful long-term career opportunities to graduates, who earned a combined $13M in revenue and paid $4M in taxes per year; 8 graduates earned $100,000+ in their first year after release• Equipped graduates in founding 60 businesses, ranging from landscaping and catering companies, to a multi-million dollar real estate investment company (founded by a 23-year old graduate) and a hedge fund (founded by a graduate who served five years for a violent crime). Raised angel funding for businesses• Led and managed a team of 25 staff, and recruited and worked closely with a governing board and three advisory boards, consisting of 45 thought leaders and business executives• Recruited 7,500 executive volunteers and supporters and enlisted hundreds of MBA student volunteers from 32 leading business schools, including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and MIT• Developed nationally praised business and character development curriculum and training methodology Show less

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  Defy Ventures

  Oct 2010 - Apr 2018

  Founder & CEO

  Defy Ventures is a nonprofit that maximizes the potential of people with criminal histories by providing entrepreneurship, employment readiness, and leadership training inside correctional facilities, and robust reentry services in communities that include job placement, executive mentorship, and startup incubation and funding. Since 2012, Defy has served 5,200+ clients, incubated and financed 200+ startups, and achieved a recidivism rate of <8%. In 2017, Defy was named one of The 25 Most Disruptive Companies of the Year by Inc. Magazine. Show less

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  Hustle 2.0

  Aug 2018 - now

  Hustle 2.0 has a mail-based correspondence program that can be taken by incarcerated (and formerly incarcerated) people anywhere in the world. Hustle 2.0 reduces crime, violence, and recidivism by providing evidence-based rehabilitation programs that equip incarcerated people with the tools to transform their lives by changing their thoughts and behaviors. Our founders’ programs have served 8,500+ people with criminal histories and achieved recidivism rates of less than 8% since 2004. H2.0’s comprehensive curriculum combines the voices of people affected by incarceration with the voices of leading correctional rehabilitation authorities. Show less

  • Founder and Chair

    Apr 2018 - now

  • Chief Executive Officer

    Apr 2023 - Jun 2024

  • Co-Founder

    Aug 2018 - Jun 2024
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  BOLD (Beyond Ordinary Leadership Development)

  Mar 2024 - now

  Chief Honey Badger

  BOLD: Empowering Law Enforcement, Correctional Staff, and Military: Unleash Your Potential with BOLD