JARROD BARNES is a native of Columbus, Ohio, currently serving as the Managing Director of the Minority Entrepreneurship Institute, a seed-stage impact investing fund that invests in minority founders across the midwest and southeast. Jarrod began his career working in collegiate and professional sports as a college football coach at the Ohio State University and as an NFL front-office employee with the Los Angeles Rams. After transitioning into Venture, Jarrod began as a Venture Fellow with Unshackled Ventures, the first and only pre-seed fund investing specifically in Immigrant Founders, and is currently completing his Doctorate Degree in Learning Design at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Jarrod is actively investing in high-potential startups within ed-tech, the future of work, media, and sports technology and continually sought out opportunities to create access to capital and education for underrepresented founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.