Zeal Capital Partners — a D.C. venture firm that focuses on inclusive investing — has hired its first chief operating officer in an effort to expand its operations, portfolio and investment team.
It’s a notable milestone for the Black-led firm, founded by Nasir Qadree just three years ago. He said he hopes his new COO, Jarron Smith, a former chief of staff to the COO of New York-based Fortune 100 financial services giant TIAA, can help take Zeal to its next stage of growth, in part to help its portfolio companies do the same. It plans to stretch its investments into the health equity sector, while also boosting its tech and product support for its current roster of startups.
“We have to [plan], thoughtfully, constantly, about post-investment value generation, building the best support systems for entrepreneurs to reach their next stage of growth,” Qadree said in an interview, citing this time as an “inflection point” for Zeal Capital. “To fully execute the fund strategy, we…
Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
