Jason M. Cronen
Managing Partner at Garden District Ventures
Jason M. Cronen
Managing Partner at Garden District Ventures
Bangkok Metropolitan Area
Overview
Work Experience
Managing Partner
2020 - Current
Established in 2020, Garden District Ventures is a consumer-focused investment firm backing fearless founders and challenger brands in emerging, middle-income markets across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Investor
2018
Investing in a personal capacity since 2013, I've backed innovative founders and disruptive startups across various deal structures and stages (angel deals, syndicates, directs, and later-stage secondaries). Four of these companies eventually went on to IPO, two were acquired by competitors, and several more died on the vine. My active portfolio includes investments in 40+ companies including Freightos, Instacart, Beyond Meat, Zoomcar, Alto Pharmacy, Nuvocargo, Moneco, Gotham Greens, Vuori, Sufresca, HomeLight, Levels, BabyQuip, and others. As technology reshapes entire industries globally, as an investor I tend to focus on high-impact startups oriented around ‘Food, Families, Freight, and Finance.’
Mentor
2023
Mentoring startups in a remote-first environment, I support their strategy, offer firsthand experience, and guide their growth. Since 2006, Techstars has worked with startups across a range of verticals, from aerospace to finance, logistics, and retail, connecting them to a network of successful mentors and partners.
Startup Mentor
2021
Seedstars is a global organisation with a mission to impact people's lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship.
Investor/ Co-Founder
2020
Brew Vietnam invests in beverage brands including craft beer, coffee, and premium handcrafted soft drinks in one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic economies. We focus on product and brand development, consumer trend analysis, and developing retail placement and D2C distribution.
Corporate Member
2019
The Conference Board, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit business membership and research group organization. It counts over 1,000 public and private corporations and other organizations as members, encompassing 60 countries.
Advisor
2022 - 2023
Nnure is a fintech company that is democratising access to finance through our next-generation credit card and easy-to-use smartphone app. We are building digital consumer finance products and delivering them to your fingertips anywhere, anytime.
Consultant, Special Projects
2020 - 2023
Fayard Aviation is a leading provider in startup commercial aviation and air services. Our team includes airline industry experts, global travel professionals, and veteran consultants with the goal of helping entrepreneurs, corporations, and other entities establish new commercial airline services as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible.
New Orleans Chapter Leader
2017 - 2020
Travel Massive is the world's biggest tourism industry community, connecting over 80,000 members in 150+ chapters around the globe.
Director of Corporate Partnerships
2016 - 2019
For visitors to New Orleans, Joieful brings together the largest marketplace of easy-to-buy New Orleans experiences curated by locals, allowing guests to see the authentic New Orleans inside and outside of the traditional tourism lens. Joieful booking technology powers the concierge desks at many of the leading hotels in New Orleans, both online and with 24/7 live support, and reaches nearly 1.5 million New Orleans visitors per year from pre-arrival to departure. With hundreds of thoughtfully curated adventures ranging from dining to jazz music, corporate team building to health and wellness, Joieful empowers users to create, experience, and share the best of the Crescent City.
Consultant, Membership and Strategic Partnerships
2018 - 2019
The Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association is a membership-based, not-for-profit private association that has represented the interests of the hotel and lodging industry in New Orleans since 1924.
Education
Communications
2002 - 2006