Jessica Karr

Founder & Managing Director

2021 - Current

Coyote Ventures backs founders who are solving problems that disproportionately affect overlooked populations, with a foundation in women’s health.

Limited Partner

2021

Member of Portfolia FemTech II Fund, designed for women who want to back entrepreneurial companies for returns and impact. Portfolia offers an engaging and educational experience, with members participating in pitch calls and joining due diligence teams alongside highly experienced lead investors. Portfolia is especially interested in companies led by women and/or with diverse founder teams, and where a national base of sophisticated and connected investors can impact success.

Advisor

2019

Venture Partner

2020 - 2021

Republic is an investment platform spun out of AngelList that allows anyone to invest in pre-seed to Series B startups. Our global and diverse community of 800,000+ accredited and non-accredited investors have helped over 175 companies raise $250M and counting. Startups can raise up to $1M a year per campaign while significantly increasing the reach of their brand. Venture Partners collaborate with VCs, accelerators, and communities across the ecosystem to support founders and their ideas. If you are a startup looking to raise capital from the crowd, message me here on LinkedIn!

Principal

2020 - 2020

Sourced and diligenced investments related to DuContra's thesis to invest in companies innovating in climate, sustainability, and gender equality. Streamlined fund operations, organized the investment committee, and participated in investment decisions.

Founder and Principal

2018 - 2020

Working with emerging brands in the Bay Area and internationally (including Singapore, Brazil, and Israel) to integrate product strategy with innovation and consumer insights.

R&D Consultant

2016 - 2018

• Wrote white papers on topics related to enzymes in the food industry, food sensitivities, and agricultural practices that impact the nutritional profile of the Impossible Burger. • Developed the technical ingredient analysis that guided customer inquiries regarding product’s nutrition and that supported decisions in the supply chain.

Senior Research Associate

2012 - 2016

• Integrated consumer insights with technical understanding of flavor, sensory data, and protein chemistry towards product development; visualized results and communicated discoveries across teams. • Managed R&D projects contributing to creation of the Impossible Burger, including optimization of a complex flavor mix based on analyzing flavors in beef, and conducted kitchen prototyping from ideation phase through product commercialization. • Entered as employee number 12, playing a key role in company growth and culture in a fast-growing startup. • Co-authored patents related to the flavor technology and product formulations. • Collaborated across teams to strategize large-scale production, develop new food concepts, and create consumer-facing content.

Graduate Researcher

2009 - 2011

• Discovered microbiome-derived molecules with pharmaceutical applications while developing novel mass spectrometry imaging techniques in Pieter Dorrestein's lab. • Co-authored a review article on the topic of the human microbiome in a peer-reviewed journal.