When I founded Zeal in 2020, I dreamed of building a best-in-class venture capital firm. I recognized that achieving this goal would require a differentiated strategy, and a talented, tireless team that shared my unwavering commitment to excellence.
Today, I am pleased to announce that Zeal is growing and evolving with the addition of our latest hire, Jarron Smith, who will serve as our first Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director.
I have known Jarron for over 15 years, both personally and professionally, and can attest to his impeccable integrity, unwavering grit, and exceptional humility. He will be an invaluable addition to Zeal, helping us to realize our vision, cultivate our culture, and scale our business to support the growing number of founders in our portfolio.
Jarron brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having served as Chief of Staff to the COO of TIAA, a Fortune 100 financial services company with more than $1.3T in assets under management. In this position, Jarron was responsible for overseeing business strategy, execution, and board reporting across several billion dollars in P/L and over 2,000 employees.
Prior to joining TIAA, Jarron spent a decade at EY, where he worked as a Senior Manager in the Financial Services practice. During this time, he was a trusted advisor to risk management executives at banking, insurance, and asset management institutions, driving $8M in annual sales and leading global teams in executing business strategy, regulatory remediation, and technology architecture projects.
The entire Zeal team is thrilled to welcome Jarron to our growing organization, as we work together to build a best-in-class venture capital firm, anchored by our Inclusive InvestingTM strategy. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Jarron and congratulating him on his new role as Zeal’s Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director.
