Jessica Jackley is a venture capital investor at Untapped Capital who co-founded Kiva.org, one of the first person-to-person microlending platforms that helped start the crowdfunding movement, and developed her investing approach by living with micro-entrepreneurs in East Africa where she interviewed over 100 founders building businesses with as little as $100. She approaches capital as a tool for dignity rather than charity, emphasizing that loans and equity help founders see themselves as owners who build and reinvest rather than people who receive help, and is known for turning down eight-figure offers at Kiva when the money structure would have shifted the platform away from true person-to-person connection.

• A strong focus on social entrepreneurship and empathy-driven business models. She actively promotes ventures that combine commerce with tangible social good, such as her frequent highlighting of Alltruists, a company offering eco-friendly kits that help families volunteer and address issues like clean water and homelessness.
• deeply interested in parenting resources that teach values and global awareness to the next generation. She frequently discusses tools for education and character building, exemplified by her enthusiasm for a children's book that redefines generosity as giving of oneself rather than just money.
• Values the power of storytelling and media to bridge cultural divides. She consistently supports books, podcasts, and television shows that foster understanding, often sharing and celebrating the creative projects of her husband, Reza Aslan, and other authors in her network.
• Prioritizes public support for her business partners and investment colleagues. She demonstrates a collaborative spirit by actively cheering on her co-workers, such as when she posted multiple updates celebrating her partner at Untapped VC, Yohei Nakajima, during his speaking engagements on artificial intelligence.
• Engagement with climate action and environmental sustainability. She regularly features products and initiatives aimed at protecting the planet, such as highlighting impact kits focused on removing plastic pollution from oceans or planting trees.