Venture Investment Director - NW Arkansas

EQL Tech•Bentonville, AR

11d•Remote

About The Position

The Catalyze479 Fund, launched by Renaissance Philanthropy with support from the Walton Family Foundation, aims to address the early-stage capital gap for Northwest Arkansas-based enterprises. The fund provides crucial capital to validation-stage companies to foster growth, job creation, and attract future investment. This role involves designing the investment thesis, assembling an investment committee, and deploying capital through two strategies: Venture Validation for technology-forward companies and Main Street for scalable, community-embedded businesses. Investments are considered Mission-Related, balancing financial returns with mission impact. The Director will be the first hire in Northwest Arkansas, serving as the public face of the fund and operating with significant local autonomy while collaborating with the NWA Innovation Fund Program Director.

Requirements

8+ years in venture capital, early-stage investing, startup operations, or entrepreneurship, with a track record of making or supporting equity investments end-to-end
Experience launching new organizations, funds, or programs from scratch
Ability to forge relationships that outlast involvement, attracting co-investors and credible deal flow across the startup and investor community
Judgment to recognize exceptional founders and instinct to mentor and advise them, both pre- and post-investment
Existing roots in the region or a genuine, specific enthusiasm for relocating and embedding in the community
Ability to translate complex investment themes for diverse audiences, in writing and in person
Familiarity with pre-seed and seed-stage investment structures: cap table math, term sheets, and early-stage KPIs
Experience hiring and managing early-career investment professionals
Comfort with quantitative analytics, including Excel modeling and financial analysis
Actively use AI tools in work

Nice To Haves

Experience at the intersection of philanthropy and investing (impact investing, program-related investments, or catalytic capital)
Existing networks in NWA or the broader Arkansas and Midwest startup ecosystem

Responsibilities

Finalize the fund's investment thesis, criteria, and operational infrastructure in partnership with Renaissance Philanthropy leadership
Build and manage an active deal pipeline across both fund strategies - Venture Validation and Main Street
Lead end-to-end investment processes: sourcing, founder assessment, due diligence, term sheet negotiation, investment memos, and Investment Committee coordination
Partner with portfolio founders post-investment as a thought partner and connector — helping them access follow-on capital, key hires, and customers
Cultivate deep relationships with regional anchors (Walmart, Tyson, JB Hunt), economic development organizations, universities, and civic leaders
Build co-investment pipelines with national and regional VC firms, angel networks, and philanthropic partners
Serve as the public face of Catalyze479 at regional events, national convenings, and in the press
Track and report on both financial performance and community impact metrics, including jobs created and capital leveraged
Hire, onboard, and manage the fund's second local hire, and build systems that allow the fund to scale