Jackie Berardo is an investor at Designer Fund based in New York City. As a designer, researcher, and investor Jackie has led research initiatives for Reality Labs at Meta, helped design Facebook's multi-billion dollar Creator Bonus Program, and supported the launch of Instagram Commerce.

• A strong focus on how artificial intelligence is transforming the design industry rather than destroying it. Believes that as software interfaces become more autonomous, the actual user experience becomes even more critical, shifting traditional product roles into positions blending design and software engineering. An example of this dedication is an extensive research report they recently helped publish alongside major tech companies, which surveyed nearly a thousand professionals to map out the future of their industry.
• Interested in founders building highly polished applications within strictly regulated sectors like healthcare, insurance, and compliance. Believes that industry-specific artificial intelligence proves its true value in these fields because software errors have severe real-world consequences rather than just causing awkward chat responses. As an example, they highlighted a legal technology portfolio company that successfully compressed fifty hours of patent drafting down to just twenty minutes while maintaining the strict accuracy required to protect intellectual property.
• Focused on improving the initial investment intake process to give founders reaching out cold a fairer evaluation. Actively exploring technical solutions to handle large volumes of inbound pitches without losing the ability to spot great talent. Specifically, they have been testing an internal application designed to read startup presentation decks, offer constructive feedback to founders, and automatically route the highest potential matches directly to their team.
• Enthusiasm for New York City and its local basketball culture, which serves as a highly relatable icebreaker topic for casual conversation. Frequently posts about the unique energy of the area and its residents. For instance, they playfully posted about anticipating the chaotic and celebratory atmosphere right outside their window if the local sports team were to secure a narrow playoff victory.