Knight Foundation is seeking a venture investments associate to evaluate investments and manage value-added services for portfolio companies of the Knight Enterprise Fund. The fund is an allocation of up to $20 million from Knight Foundation’s endowment that invests in startups aligning with Knight’s mission of promoting informed and engaged communities. The fund looks to connect startups to media companies, journalists, universities and community partners, as well as to one another.

Reporting to the director of venture investments in the finance department, the associate will be the point person coordinating these efforts with over 50 companies.

The right candidate is a self-driven, social impact-oriented professional with a commitment to building a more informed public. This individual has wide interests in business and the tech ecosystem, and a strong passion for people. This person can create and execute ideas successfully, is self-aware, communicates clearly, responds well to feedback, embraces change, tolerates ambiguity, and is able to work on multiple projects simultaneously. Travel several times a year is required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Track portfolio companies’ financial progress, product development and social impact via metrics and qualitative examples.

• Assist in finding and completing deals.

• Work with portfolio company founders to understand their needs, collaborate with program staff to understand their goals and networks, and share resources with portfolio companies.

• Create and manage a system for portfolio companies to update and interact with one another; host gatherings with foundation staff, portfolio companies, media executives and venture investors; and prepare regular updates for portfolio companies and constituents on items of interest (e.g. speaking opportunities, events, job opportunities, etc.).

• Work with our communications team to promote portfolio companies and Knight’s venture investments strategy.

• Work with Knight’s Learning and Impact and communications teams to disseminate lessons learned from the portfolio companies.

Knight Foundation continues the work of John S. and James L. Knight, two brothers who founded a company that became one of the dominant newspaper chains in the United States. While that firm no longer exists, the brothers’ principles still guide their independent foundation. We support transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.

The essential elements for this work are: belief in a vision, courage to push for change, willingness to explore new ideas, expertise to accomplish the work and tenacity to reach the desired results. If you share this passion, we want to hear from you. Tell us what excites you about this opportunity and why you are right for it.

Send your resume to: [email protected] For more on Knight Foundation, visit www.knightfoundation.org Knight Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. No telephone calls, please.