Jacob Chapman
Adjunct at RAND
Jacob Chapman
Adjunct at RAND
Alameda, California
Overview
Work Experience
Adjunct
2024 - Current
Working at the nexus of national security, venture capital, and industry in order to make sure the United States is able to deter conflict and the win the future through capability development and capacity building.
Managing Director
2022
Marque Ventures is an early stage VC firm focused on defense and dual use technologies. Our team, made up of professional investors and government experts, ran the venture arm of the Department of Defense. We leverage deep networks inside both the DoD and the entrepreneurial ecosystem to find the best defense technologies and to get them through the labyrinth of DoD procurement into the hands of the war fighter. We believe that America is at a pivotal cross roads and that winning the technology competition is critical to preserving American prosperity as well as securing the peace. We also believe that the highest leverage way to achieve that goal is through the power of capitalism. American defense is an $850B market that does well in almost every market condition. For those who know how to navigate defense procurement there is a massive financial opportunity. While we are industry and not sector focused, in addition to companies that are building pure play defense solutions (e.g. things that go boom), we often look at companies in aerospace, materials, synthetic biology, advanced manufacturing, energy, transportation, AI, autonomy, and intelligence.
Podcast Co-Host
2022
Cohost of the world's most interesting defense podcast. Making national security and defense technology approachable and fun. In charge of spicy takes.
Director
2016
Managing Director
2021 - 2023
AVCC is a nonprofit created at the direction of Congress in 2002 to support the modernization efforts of the U.S. Army
Managing Partner
2018 - 2023
We invest in post-seed pre-series A technology companies. I am a technology optimist and a huge science fiction fan. I want to live in the utopian world imagined by Gene Roddenberry and so I invest in companies helping us get there one step at a time. The sectors I focus on are AI, Robotics, Aerospace, Autonomy, Quantum Computing, Security and related industries. At Alpha Bridge we believe that the success of our companies is dependent on the health, happiness and resiliency of our founders. We have built a data driven program focused on helping all of our founders maximize their potential as leaders. We help support them in their leadership development as well as in their physical health and emotional and mental wellbeing. We help our founders build without burnout. In addition to my investing activities I enjoy writing about the future of technology and venture capital. I have written articles for TechCrunch, WIRED, Venture Beat and Pando. In the last year, my thoughts on the future of technology and venture capital have also appeared in US News and World Reports, Forbes and various trade publications.
Co-Founder / Advisor
2018 - 2023
Project Atlas was founded with the goal of helping all founders and entrepreneurs find their super powers. We focus on supporting founders in their leadership development, with their physical health and in their emotional resiliency.
Partner
2016 - 2023
Director
2007 - 2016
Board member from inception to sale. We took an amazing concept in the specialty food and beverage space and grew it to dozens of stores across the country. Congratulations to an amazing A+ team on your accomplishment.
Senior Counsel & Director of National Logistics
2010 - 2012
VOM FASS is a rapidly growing international specialty foods retailer, which currently has 6 U.S. locations and more than 200 locations worldwide. - In house counsel for all commercial transactions, fundraising efforts and regulatory matters. - Set goals and strategy with the other members of the VOM FASS USA management team. - Negotiated relationships with suppliers, distributors, landlords, partners and other critical stakeholders. - Managed the U.S. supply chain including inventory, ordering, international freight and order fulfillment.
Partner
2015 - 2016
Sazze Partners is a venture capital firm focused on creating long lasting partnerships with entrepreneurs. We believe that a strong mentor/mentee relationship is critical for even the best entrepreneurs and we strive to fill that role. We invest in companies of all types though we typically look for companies where our operational expertise in SEO, business development, customer acquisition and related skills can be a difference maker. www.sazzepartners.com
VP Corporate Strategy and General Counsel
2012 - 2016
Sazze is an incubator with a strategic focus on technology companies that touch on e-commerce and advertising. Sazze is currently supporting Dealsplus, ShopLately, Pocketly and ProGrids. - Develop strategic partnerships. - Identify market opportunities, and develop plans or business lines to leverage Sazze's core competencies to take advantage of the identified opportunities. - Set goals and strategy in concert with other members of the Sazze management team. - Advise the company on legal and regulatory matters including business structures, intellectual property, technology transactions, licensing, human resources and other issues as they arise. - Identify opportunities and lead processes around M&A, fundraising and joint ventures.
Education
Investments
Latest Articles
Gelt VC Report Card; A 2016 retrospective and a radical new plan for 2017.
Talks about Venture Capital, Startup and Investing
Stop talking about “The Self Driving Car”
Talks about Self Driving Cars, Tech and self-driving cars