Jesse Draper
Jesse Draper is a venture capitalist, TV personality, and gender equality advocate based in Santa Monica, California. She is the founding partner ofHalogen Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on consumer technology companies led by female and co-ed teams. Jesse Draper, a fourth-generationventure capitalistand a Kauffman Fellow, has invested in over 70 companies, includingThe Skimm,ThirdLove,HopSkipDrive,The Flex Company, Squad (acquired byTwitter), Eloquii (sold toWalmart), and This is L (sold toP&G). She is committed to addressing the gender gap in venture capital by supporting women entrepreneurs.
In 2015, Jesse Draper founded Halogen Ventures to invest in female-led consumer technology companies. She recently closed a $21 million fund to invest in the next generation of billion-dollar businesses run by women. Herinvestments focuson solving issues related to education, healthcare, and family support, emphasising the value of investing in diverse teams.
Jesse Draper began her career as an actress on Nickelodeon’s "The Naked Brothers Band"and later created and hosted the Emmy-nominated series"The Valley Girl Show." Through this platform, she interviewed influential figures likeTed Turner, Mark Cuban,Sheryl Sandberg, andElon Musk.This experience in media helped her transition into venture capital, where she focuses on investing in female founders and co-ed teams. She also established the "Halogen Fellowship in Venture Capital" to promote diversity in the industry.
In addition to her work at Halogen Ventures, Jesse Draper hosts the "MOMumental" podcast, where she explores issues related to childcare, education, foster care, and parenting. The podcast features discussions withentrepreneurs,celebrities, and policymakers about challenges and solutions in these areas, emphasising the importance of supporting families and children.
Jesse Draper is involved with several boards, includingTrust & Will,Preemadonna,Mirza, andThe Flex Company. She gained attention with her viral Medium article, “Investing in Women Isn’t a Charity,” highlighting the need for equitable funding for women entrepreneurs. Her efforts have been recognised by Business Insider, which named her one of the top 10 early-stage female investors, and by Marie Claire magazine, which included her in its list of the ‘50 Most Connected Women in America.’
She has also participated in non-profit organisations such as PledgeLA, an initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in Los Angeles’ tech industry, and Project Glimmer, which supports underserved teenage girls. Jesse Draper also supports UCLA’s female entrepreneurship community and contributes to initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in the venture capital industry.
Recently, Jesse Draper joined theRoku Channelseries "Side Hustlers" as a guest star, showcasing her support for entrepreneurs. She is also a frequent speaker at industry events and contributes to publications like Forbes and Marie Claire, discussing the importance of investing in women and the potential of technology to solve societal challenges. Jesse Draper’s work aims to reshape the venture capital landscape by highlighting and investing in female-led businesses.
