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Director, Catalyze479 — Northwest Arkansas Innovation Fund

Location: Northwest Arkansas (within 30 miles of Bentonville) | Type: Full-Time | Reports to: Program Director

EQL Tech is partnering with Renaissance Philanthropy, a nonprofit organization with a mission to fuel a 21st-century renaissance by increasing the ambition of philanthropists, scientists, and innovators. With support from the Walton Family Foundation, Renaissance Philanthropy has launched the Catalyze479 Fund to bridge the earliest-stage capital gap for Northwest Arkansas-based enterprises — providing capital to validation-stage companies at the most critical points in their development and priming them to grow, create jobs, and attract future angel and venture investment.

Role Overview

Renaissance Philanthropy is seeking a founding Director for Catalyze479 — someone who is equal parts investor, community builder, and operator. In this role, you will design the investment thesis, assemble an investment committee, and deploy capital across two distinct strategies: a Venture Validation strategy backing idea- to pre-seed-stage, technology-forward companies, and a Main Street strategy investing in scalable, community-embedded businesses. Capital is deployed as Mission-Related Investments, where financial return and mission impact are both objectives. You will be the first hire based in Northwest Arkansas, the public face of the fund, and the person most responsible for its success — working closely with the NWA Innovation Fund Program Director while operating with significant local autonomy.

Key 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

Requirements

Who You Are

• Experienced Investor: You bring 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.
• Builder: You've launched new organizations, funds, or programs from scratch, and you're energized - not paralyzed - by ambiguity and white space.
• Hyper-Connector: You forge relationships that outlast your involvement, attracting co-investors and credible deal flow across the startup and investor community.
• Founder's Partner: You have the judgment to recognize exceptional founders and the instinct to mentor and advise them, both pre- and post-investment.
• Committed to Northwest Arkansas: You have existing roots in the region or a genuine, specific enthusiasm for relocating and embedding in the community.
• Excellent Communicator: You translate complex investment themes for diverse audiences, in writing and in person.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with pre-seed and seed-stage investment structures: cap table math, term sheets, and early-stage KPIs
• Experience at the intersection of philanthropy and investing (impact investing, program-related investments, or catalytic capital) - a plus
• Existing networks in NWA or the broader Arkansas and Midwest startup ecosystem - a plus
• Experience hiring and managing early-career investment professionals
• Comfort with quantitative analytics, including Excel modeling and financial analysis
• AI-enabled: you actively use AI tools in your work

Benefits

• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience
• Performance-based bonus
• Private Health Insurance
• Training & Development