Madison Jacox came to venture investing through public service and international affairs, working at the U.S. Department of State and the UN Mayor's Office for International Affairs before moving into tech through Tech:NYC, Hangar, and Sidebar, and she studied international security policy at Columbia SIPA rather than following a typical finance path. At Dorm Room Fund she focuses on backing student and recent-grad founders early, has taken on operating roles like running the fund's investing program in addition to investing, and has said she chose investing because she'd rather back many companies than build just one.