KIRSTAN BARNETT

Invested in 50+ founders with two IPOs, 5 favorable acquisitions.

I HUSTLE TO FIND FOUNDERS who can create great companies in big markets.  When I find them I am decisive, quick and responsive.

BORN IN JAPAN, I am the proud daughter of a US Air Force Officer. Growing up in a military family, I was raised in five states, and five cities in the State of California alone.  I was the kind of kid who joined every team sport I could ride my bike to, including baton twirling, volleyball, cheerleading, tennis, rugby and softball (my favorite, for which I was named league MVP as a fastball pitcher).  On military bases those teams were made up of kids with a broad mix of backgrounds. Moving on and off so many teams made me good at seeing beyond the obvious and looking instead at character, competence, hustle and will.  The intangible assets.  That is perhaps why once I have done my diligence I am confident, quick and decisive.

At the University of New Hampshire I was an instructor and lead climber for Advanced RockClimbing.  After UNH, I moved to New York City without a job or knowing a single person.  One of the boldest and most affirming experiences of my life.  I earned a JD from Georgetown University Law School, where I was elected Editor in Chief of my law journal, wrote an Article that was cited by the Supreme Court of California and received a coveted American Jurisprudence Award.  Later I got an MBA from MIT Sloan, which fed a growing startup bug.

“Kirstan is a rock.”  Ajanta Adhikari, Founder Ionate Inc.

I HAVE 20+ YEARS of operational start-up and scaling, financing, management and strategy experience. I was CoFounder of a fintech startup, and before that was instrumental in building a world-class competitor in a cut-throat asset management market.  As a member of the senior management team, I played key strategic roles on distressed debt investment teams, managed the outside Board of Directors, handled HR matters, and launched projects on risk, valuation, operations, governance and cybersecurity.  I built the legal, regulatory and compliance teams from scratch to a team of 10+, and directed everything from investor negotiations to investment transactions, and handled everything from high stakes litigation to media affairs.

I ALSO FOUNDED SHEGIVES.  Named a #SOGOOD Award Finalist by BostInno and featured in the Boston Globe for its innovative model, SheGives is a platform to introduce donors to a portfolio of highly vetted, high impact nonprofits.  SheGives founders are a cohort of Boston’s most accomplished women in finance, healthcare, biotechnology, venture capital and technology who together have made grants of almost $1m.  SheGives.  Smart Women.  Smart Giving.

I believe in service to others, and 10% of my profits goes to nonprofits, including SheGives and the nonprofits its supports.