Blog Feature: “Next Chapter” with Jacqueline Lensing

The Michigan Venture Capital Association is proud to offer the Venture Fellows Program to Michigan’s venture capital community. The program, launched in 2023, is designed to increase the number of venture professionals in Michigan in order to accelerate the fundraising and deployment of capital into early-stage companies. The following blog marks the graduation of a Venture Fellows Program participant and shares insights from their fellowship.

By: Jacqueline Lensing

Where are you now and what are you doing?

I am still part of the Grand Ventures team, leading sourcing and running after the best deals. I continue to search far and wide for the smartest, grittiest, and most exceptional founders out there (so if that’s you, please reach out !!). My role has evolved slightly to take on more responsibility throughout the diligence process, drafting cap tables and term sheets, and leading our reporting process, etc. I am entering my 7th year of living in Grand Rapids. My view of Michigan, especially Grand Rapids, has expanded as I’ve gotten more plugged in professionally into the ecosystem. No longer is it just my “college” town, but rather a place I choose to live and support, and truly want to see thrive.

During your time as a Venture Fellow, what was the best deal, favorite solution, or stand-out Michigan portfolio company you encountered and why?

During my fellowship, I had the opportunity to support and internally manage one of our portfolio companies, Payload, based in Grand Rapids, as it went through an acquisition. It was an exciting milestone for both the Grand Rapids ecosystem, celebrating a local exit, and for me personally, as I got to see firsthand what that process looks like from the inside. Payload was always such a fun company to track, given their momentum in the headless CMS space. For those unfamiliar (don’t worry, I barely get it too), Payload lets developers build and manage content-driven applications with a customizable, self-hosted backend… Hope that was helpful. Either way, Payload is just one great example of why being an investor in the Michigan startup ecosystem is so rewarding.

Read Jacqueline’s full blog post on the Michigan Venture Capital Association’s website.