Cleveland Venture Development Organization JumpStart Inc. Names Erin Horne McKinney as Managing Partner of Inclusion

Successful Entrepreneur, Economic Development Advisor, Business Development Expert and Civil Rights Advocate Will Lead JumpStart's Efforts to Advance Economic Inclusion

News provided by

JumpStart Inc.

Jan 18, 2018, 09:10 ET

CLEVELAND, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- JumpStart Inc. has named its first Managing Partner of Inclusion, welcoming entrepreneur and public policy expert Erin Horne McKinney to the venture development organization.

A Cleveland native, Horne McKinney has also lived and worked in Silicon Valley, the Twin Cities and Washington, D.C., where she most recently led the Mayor of Washington, D.C.'s strategy for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

JumpStart Inc. has named entrepreneur and public policy expert Erin Horne McKinney as the organization's first Managing Partner of Inclusion. A Cleveland native, Horne McKinney has also lived and worked in Silicon Valley, the Twin Cities and Washington, D.C., where she most recently led the Mayor of Washington, D.C.’s strategy for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

"JumpStart has a documented track record of leadership in the diversity and inclusion space—especially when it comes to connecting diverse entrepreneurs and small business owners to larger economic opportunities," said Horne McKinney. "I am excited to join such a strong and dedicated team as we build on the great work of the past and drive to even greater impact in the future."

From its headquarters in Cleveland, JumpStart has built a national reputation as a champion for diversity and inclusion with initiatives such as providing leadership to the National Venture Capital Association's Diversity Task Force, the Core City: Cleveland program and the $10 million-dollar Focus Fund, a joint-venture with the Ohio Third Frontier that is one of the few venture capital funds in the nation dedicated specifically to female- and minority-led tech startups.

JumpStart's Managing Partner of Inclusion is a new position, designed to lead a rapidly growing team and portfolio of work aimed at building inclusive economic ecosystems. This work includes existing initiatives and new work in both Ohio and upstate New York— work made possible by the KeyBank Business Boost & Build Program, a JumpStart-powered program funded via a historic $24M grant from the KeyBank Foundation.

As part of this expanded work, JumpStart's Gloria Ware will serve in a new role as the founding Director of The KeyBank Center for Technology, Innovation and Inclusive Growth. This new center is an important piece of the larger KeyBank Boost & Build Program, designed specifically to accelerate the success of women and minorities as entrepreneurs of high growth firms, while connecting women, minorities and those in rural communities across Ohio to career opportunities in growing, globally competitive small businesses.

"This is an exciting and important time for JumpStart," said Ware of her new role. "The success of our previous work has now earned us an opportunity to expand our reach and help transform more communities by helping more entrepreneurs and small business owners connect to economic opportunity. We look forward to meeting the challenge."

"JumpStart's senior leadership team and board of directors interviewed top candidates from across the country, and we were unanimous in concluding Erin is the right person for this role," added JumpStart CEO Ray Leach. "With Erin's leadership and Gloria at the helm of The KeyBank Center for Technology, Innovation and Inclusive Growth, we are very excited for what we will be able to help entrepreneurs and communities accomplish in generating greater inclusive economic growth in the years to come."

JUMPSTART INC. unlocks the full potential of diverse and ambitious entrepreneurs to economically transform entire communities. For more information, visit www.jumpstartinc.org and follow @JumpStartInc on Twitter.

SOURCE JumpStart Inc.